CVE-2023-4909 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/13/2023
Inappropriate implementation in Interstitials in Google Chrome prior to 117.0.5938.62 allowed a remote attacker to obfuscate security UI via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Low)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-4909 represents a security flaw in Google Chrome's interstitial implementation that affects versions prior to 117.0.5938.62. This issue falls under the category of improper security UI handling within the browser's user interface components. The vulnerability specifically relates to how Chrome presents security warnings and alerts to users when they encounter potentially dangerous web content. Interstitials serve as critical security barriers that inform users about risks such as phishing attempts, malware downloads, or unsafe websites, making their proper implementation essential for maintaining user protection. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate the presentation of these security warnings through crafted HTML content, potentially undermining the effectiveness of Chrome's security mechanisms.
The technical implementation flaw stems from how Chrome processes and renders security interstitials when encountering malicious or suspicious web pages. The vulnerability occurs in the browser's handling of HTML content that attempts to interfere with the display or functionality of security UI elements. Attackers can craft HTML pages that exploit weaknesses in the rendering pipeline of Chrome's interstitial system, allowing them to obscure or manipulate the security warnings that should appear to users. This manipulation can involve techniques such as overlaying malicious content over legitimate security warnings, altering the visual presentation of security alerts, or preventing users from properly recognizing security threats. The Chromium security severity classification of Low indicates that while the vulnerability does not directly enable arbitrary code execution or complete system compromise, it does represent a significant degradation in security user experience and can potentially be leveraged in combination with other attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple UI manipulation, as it can significantly compromise user security awareness and protection mechanisms. When security warnings are obscured or manipulated, users may fail to recognize genuine threats, leading to increased susceptibility to phishing attacks, malware infections, or other web-based security incidents. This vulnerability particularly affects the browser's ability to provide clear and unobstructed security warnings, which are fundamental to user protection in modern web browsing environments. The attack surface is primarily through web-based delivery mechanisms, where users might encounter malicious websites that attempt to exploit this weakness to hide security warnings from their view. This can be particularly dangerous in scenarios involving social engineering attacks where the attacker's goal is to make users believe they are safe when they are actually encountering security threats.
Security mitigations for CVE-2023-4909 primarily involve updating to Chrome version 117.0.5938.62 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the interstitial rendering vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies to ensure all users are running patched versions of Chrome. Additionally, security teams should monitor for any attempts to exploit this vulnerability in their environments and consider implementing additional network-level protections such as web application firewalls or content filtering solutions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-691, which describes inadequate protection of security features, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for the use of HTML/JavaScript in executing malicious code. Organizations should also conduct security awareness training to help users recognize when security warnings might be manipulated or obscured, as this vulnerability specifically targets the user's ability to properly perceive security alerts. Regular security assessments of browser configurations and user environments should include verification that security interstitials are properly displayed without interference from malicious content.