CVE-2020-6574 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Insufficient policy enforcement in installer in Google Chrome on OS X prior to 85.0.4183.102 allowed a local attacker to potentially achieve privilege escalation via a crafted binary.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-6574 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the Google Chrome installer component on macOS systems. This issue stems from inadequate policy enforcement mechanisms that fail to properly validate executable files during the installation process. The vulnerability affects Chrome versions prior to 85.0.4183.102, creating a persistent security gap that could be exploited by local attackers to elevate their privileges on affected systems. The flaw specifically targets the installer's ability to verify the authenticity and integrity of binaries before execution, allowing malicious payloads to bypass security controls that should normally prevent unauthorized privilege escalation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies in the installer's insufficient validation of executable files, which creates an attack surface where crafted binaries can be executed with elevated privileges. This represents a classic insufficient validation flaw that aligns with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory. The installer component fails to properly enforce access controls and binary verification mechanisms that would normally prevent a local attacker from injecting malicious code that could leverage the installer's elevated privileges. Attackers could potentially craft malicious binaries that appear legitimate to the installer's validation process, thereby gaining unauthorized access to elevated system privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential system compromise and data exfiltration capabilities. A successful exploitation could allow attackers to install persistent backdoors, modify system configurations, or access sensitive user data without detection. The local nature of the attack means that an attacker would need initial access to the system, but once exploited, the privilege escalation could provide access to system-level resources that would otherwise be restricted. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where Chrome is frequently updated or where users may have administrative privileges, creating multiple potential attack vectors for threat actors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-6574 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome installations to version 85.0.4183.102 or later, which includes the necessary policy enforcement improvements. Organizations should implement comprehensive endpoint protection measures that monitor for unauthorized installer activity and binary modifications. System administrators should conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify outdated Chrome installations and ensure proper access controls are in place. The remediation process should also include monitoring for suspicious installer behavior and implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of unauthorized binaries. Additionally, users should be educated about the importance of keeping their browsers updated and avoiding installation of software from untrusted sources. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls and proper access restrictions on macOS systems, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local exploits.