CVE-2023-4902 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/13/2023
Inappropriate implementation in Input in Google Chrome prior to 117.0.5938.62 allowed a remote attacker to spoof security UI via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2023
This vulnerability resides in the input handling mechanisms of google chrome browser and represents a medium severity issue that could be exploited by remote attackers to manipulate security user interfaces. The flaw stems from an inadequate implementation in how chrome processes input elements within html pages, specifically allowing malicious actors to craft html content that could deceive users into believing they are interacting with legitimate security prompts or warnings. The vulnerability affects versions prior to chrome 117.0.5938.62 and operates by exploiting the browser's trust model in input validation and security UI rendering.
The technical implementation flaw involves chrome's insufficient verification of input elements and their associated security prompts during page rendering. When a malicious html page is loaded, the browser's input processing logic fails to properly distinguish between legitimate security warnings and crafted deceptive elements. This allows attackers to create html content that mimics the appearance and behavior of genuine browser security interfaces, potentially tricking users into providing sensitive information or performing unintended actions. The vulnerability specifically targets the browser's security user interface components that are typically designed to be non-interactable and non-spoofable.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple phishing attempts as it undermines the fundamental security model that users rely upon when interacting with browser security warnings. Attackers can exploit this weakness to create convincing fake security dialogs that appear to originate from the browser itself rather than from malicious websites. This spoofing capability can be particularly dangerous when combined with other attack vectors, as users may be more likely to trust warnings that appear authentic and are rendered by the browser's own security infrastructure. The medium severity classification indicates that while the attack requires some user interaction and specific conditions, the potential for deception and information compromise remains significant.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate browser updates to versions 117.0.5938.62 and later, which contain the necessary patches to address the input handling implementation flaw. Organizations should also implement comprehensive security awareness training to help users recognize suspicious browser behavior and understand the importance of verifying security warnings through multiple means. Network security controls including web application firewalls and content filtering systems can provide additional layers of protection by detecting and blocking suspicious html content. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-602, which addresses client-side input validation issues that can lead to security UI spoofing attacks. The threat landscape for this vulnerability intersects with ATT&CK technique T1566, specifically targeting the initial access phase through social engineering via deceptive user interfaces.
The root cause of this issue demonstrates the ongoing challenge in maintaining secure browser security models where the trust boundary between legitimate browser components and malicious web content can be easily exploited. This vulnerability highlights the importance of robust input sanitization and the need for browsers to maintain strict separation between their own security interfaces and user-provided content. Security professionals should monitor for related threats that may exploit similar input handling weaknesses and consider implementing additional browser hardening measures such as disabling unnecessary input processing features and maintaining strict content security policies to prevent similar spoofing attacks from succeeding.