CVE-2023-4903 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/13/2023
Inappropriate implementation in Custom Mobile Tabs in Google Chrome on Android 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
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-4903 resides within the Custom Mobile Tabs implementation in Google Chrome for Android, representing a medium severity issue that affects versions prior to 117.0.5938.62. This flaw specifically targets the browser's handling of security user interface elements and demonstrates a critical weakness in the rendering and validation of web content on mobile platforms. The vulnerability stems from an inadequate implementation that fails to properly validate or sanitize user-provided content, creating opportunities for malicious actors to manipulate the browser's security indicators.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of HTML content that triggers improper rendering of security UI elements within the browser interface. When a malicious actor crafts a specific HTML page, the browser's Custom Mobile Tabs feature fails to correctly distinguish between legitimate security indicators and forged ones, allowing attackers to create deceptive visual representations that mimic genuine security warnings or notifications. This improper handling of security UI elements directly violates the principles of secure user interface design and can lead to confusion among users regarding the authenticity of security information displayed.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-4903 extends beyond simple visual deception, as it creates potential attack vectors for more sophisticated social engineering campaigns. Users may be misled into believing they are interacting with legitimate security warnings when they are actually encountering malicious content designed to manipulate their behavior. This vulnerability particularly affects mobile users who rely on Chrome's security indicators for protection against phishing attempts and other web-based threats. The medium severity classification indicates that while the vulnerability does not directly enable arbitrary code execution or complete system compromise, it significantly undermines the browser's ability to provide reliable security assurances to users.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-693, which addresses protection mechanism design flaws, and represents a failure in the browser's security UI validation processes. The issue also connects to ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers spearphishing attacks, as the ability to spoof security UI elements enhances the effectiveness of phishing campaigns by reducing user skepticism toward security warnings. Organizations and individuals should prioritize updating to Chrome version 117.0.5938.62 or later to mitigate this risk, as the fix likely involves strengthening the validation mechanisms for security UI elements and implementing more robust sanitization of HTML content that interacts with browser security features.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of maintaining up-to-date mobile browser security implementations, as mobile platforms often present unique challenges for security UI validation due to screen size constraints and touch-based interaction models. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws in specialized browser features can create significant security risks, particularly when those features are designed to provide user confidence in security matters. Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability as part of a comprehensive mobile browser security assessment, ensuring that all user interface elements that convey security information are properly validated and protected against manipulation by malicious web content.