CVE-2023-4906 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/13/2023
Insufficient policy enforcement in Autofill in Google Chrome prior to 117.0.5938.62 allowed a remote attacker to bypass Autofill restrictions via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Low)
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-4906 represents a security flaw in Google Chrome's Autofill functionality that existed prior to version 117.0.5938.62. This issue falls under the category of insufficient policy enforcement, which is a critical concern in web browser security architecture. The flaw specifically affects how Chrome handles Autofill restrictions, creating a potential pathway for malicious actors to circumvent built-in security controls designed to protect user data. The vulnerability is classified as low severity by Chromium security standards, yet it demonstrates the importance of maintaining strict enforcement of security policies within browser components that handle sensitive user information.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a weakness in Chrome's policy enforcement mechanisms for Autofill features. When users interact with web forms, Chrome's Autofill system is designed to prevent automatic population of sensitive fields without proper user consent or explicit authorization. However, the flaw in the policy enforcement logic allows a remote attacker to craft HTML pages that can bypass these restrictions. This typically involves manipulating HTML attributes, form elements, or JavaScript interactions in ways that exploit gaps in the validation process. The vulnerability specifically targets the boundary conditions where Chrome's Autofill system should enforce restrictions but fails to do so properly.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for users who may unknowingly expose their personal information through seemingly benign web pages. Attackers could potentially construct malicious websites that automatically populate sensitive fields such as credit card numbers, addresses, or personal identification information without user awareness. The impact extends beyond simple data collection, as it represents a failure in the browser's security model that could enable more sophisticated attacks. The low severity classification does not diminish the potential for abuse, particularly in targeted attacks where attackers might combine this vulnerability with other techniques to achieve broader exploitation goals.
The mitigation approach for CVE-2023-4906 involves updating to Chrome version 117.0.5938.62 or later, which includes patches that restore proper policy enforcement within the Autofill system. Organizations should ensure that their Chrome installations are kept current with the latest security updates, as this vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing need for vigilance in browser security maintenance. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious web interactions and user behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-693, which covers protection mechanism failures, and could potentially be leveraged as part of broader attack chains that might map to ATT&CK techniques involving credential access or data exfiltration through web-based vectors. The incident underscores the importance of maintaining robust security controls even in components that are typically considered less critical than core browser functions.