CVE-2023-5484 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Inappropriate implementation in Navigation in Google Chrome prior to 118.0.5993.70 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 • 10/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-5484 represents a critical flaw in Google Chrome's navigation implementation that enables remote attackers to manipulate security user interface elements through carefully crafted HTML content. This issue affects Chrome versions prior to 118.0.5993.70 and falls under the Chromium security severity classification of Medium, though its potential for exploitation warrants significant attention from security practitioners. The flaw specifically targets the browser's handling of navigation events and user interface rendering, creating opportunities for malicious actors to deceive users about the true nature of web resources they are interacting with.
The technical implementation defect resides in how Chrome processes navigation requests and renders security indicators within the browser interface. When a user encounters a maliciously constructed HTML page, the vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the visual presentation of navigation elements, potentially causing the browser to display misleading security warnings or to hide genuine security indicators. This spoofing capability operates by exploiting gaps in Chrome's validation mechanisms for navigation events, particularly when dealing with complex page transitions and dynamic content updates. The flaw essentially permits attackers to override or manipulate the browser's normal security UI behavior, making it appear as though users are visiting trusted domains when they are actually interacting with malicious content.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for users who rely on Chrome's security indicators to make informed decisions about their online activities. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute phishing campaigns, social engineering attacks, or other deceptive schemes by making malicious websites appear more trustworthy than they actually are. The impact extends beyond simple deception as users may inadvertently provide sensitive information or perform actions they would not normally undertake when they believe they are interacting with legitimate services. This vulnerability particularly affects users who depend on browser security warnings and visual cues to identify potential threats, as these protections can be effectively bypassed through the crafted HTML manipulation techniques.
Organizations and individual users should prioritize updating to Chrome version 118.0.5993.70 or later to mitigate this vulnerability, as this represents the official fix provided by Google. Security teams should also implement additional monitoring for suspicious navigation patterns and user interactions that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for phishing and social engineering, and T1071 for application layer protocol usage. From a CWE perspective, this issue relates to CWE-693 Protection Mechanism Failure, specifically in how the browser's navigation security controls are implemented and validated. Additional mitigations may include implementing network-level controls to detect and block suspicious HTML content, deploying browser security extensions that provide additional protection layers, and conducting user awareness training to recognize potential spoofing attempts. The fix implemented by Google addresses the root cause by strengthening the validation mechanisms for navigation events and ensuring that security UI elements cannot be manipulated through crafted HTML content.