CVE-2021-30615 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/04/2021
Inappropriate implementation in Navigation in Google Chrome prior to 93.0.4577.63 allowed a remote attacker to leak cross-origin data via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2021
The vulnerability CVE-2021-30615 represents a critical security flaw in Google Chrome's navigation implementation that existed prior to version 93.0.4577.63. This issue falls under the category of cross-origin data leakage, where an attacker can exploit improper handling of navigation operations to access sensitive information from different origins. The vulnerability specifically targets Chrome's navigation system and demonstrates how inadequate input validation and origin checking can lead to severe privacy and security implications. Such flaws are particularly dangerous because they can be exploited through standard web pages without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious site.
The technical implementation flaw stems from Chrome's navigation handling mechanism failing to properly enforce cross-origin restrictions when processing certain HTML navigation operations. Attackers can craft malicious HTML pages that leverage specific navigation patterns to bypass security boundaries and access data from other origins. This typically involves exploiting the way Chrome processes navigation requests between different domains, potentially allowing access to cookies, local storage, session data, or other cross-origin resources that should remain isolated. The vulnerability operates at the browser level and leverages the complex interaction between navigation APIs, security policies, and origin isolation mechanisms. This type of flaw is classified as a navigation-based information disclosure issue and aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) categories.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-30615 extends beyond simple data leakage, as it can enable sophisticated attacks including session hijacking, credential theft, and cross-site request forgery exploitation. Remote attackers can construct malicious web pages that, when visited by users, silently extract sensitive data from other websites the user may have authenticated to. This creates a significant risk for users who browse multiple sites simultaneously, as the vulnerability can be exploited through various navigation patterns including redirects, popups, and iframe operations. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no user interaction beyond visiting the malicious page, making it a passive threat that can operate in the background. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566 (Phishing) and T1071.001 (Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols) as it exploits web navigation behaviors to achieve unauthorized data access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-30615 primarily focus on updating to the patched version of Google Chrome 93.0.4577.63 or later, which implements proper navigation origin checking and enforcement. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures including strict content security policies, enabling browser security features like SameSite cookies, and deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious navigation patterns. Network administrators should monitor for potential exploitation attempts through security logs and implement browser hardening measures such as disabling unnecessary navigation APIs for untrusted content. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper origin isolation in web browsers and demonstrates why continuous security updates are critical for maintaining protection against evolving threats. Security teams should also consider implementing user education programs to raise awareness about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and the importance of keeping browsers updated to the latest secure versions.