CVE-2024-1672 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 02/21/2024
Inappropriate implementation in Content Security Policy in Google Chrome prior to 122.0.6261.57 allowed a remote attacker to bypass content security policy via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-1672 represents a critical weakness in Google Chrome's implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) mechanisms, specifically affecting versions prior to 122.0.6261.57. This issue falls under the broader category of improper implementation flaws that undermine web security controls designed to prevent cross-site scripting attacks and other code injection vulnerabilities. The vulnerability stems from a flaw in how Chrome processes certain HTML constructs that should have been restricted by CSP directives, creating an avenue for malicious actors to circumvent intended security boundaries. The affected implementation resides within the browser's security architecture where CSP enforcement should have prevented specific content execution patterns but failed to properly validate certain edge cases in HTML parsing and rendering. This weakness demonstrates a failure in the browser's security model to maintain consistent enforcement of CSP policies across all content types and execution contexts. The vulnerability is classified as medium severity by Chromium security standards, indicating its potential to be exploited in real-world scenarios while not being immediately catastrophic. The issue primarily affects web applications that rely on CSP to protect against malicious code injection, particularly those that depend on strict enforcement of script-src, object-src, and other CSP directives to prevent unauthorized content execution. The flaw allows remote attackers to craft HTML pages that contain elements designed to bypass CSP restrictions, effectively undermining the security controls that web developers implement to protect their applications. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege in web security, where content should be restricted to only the permissions necessary for legitimate functionality. The issue connects to established security frameworks such as CWE-693 which covers protection mechanism failures, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1211 which involves exploiting weaknesses in security controls to bypass application defenses. The vulnerability's exploitation requires crafting specific HTML content that triggers the flawed CSP implementation, making it more sophisticated than typical XSS attacks but still potentially dangerous in environments where CSP is the primary defense mechanism.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in how Chrome processes certain HTML elements and their interaction with CSP directives, particularly when dealing with dynamically generated or embedded content. The vulnerability occurs during the HTML parsing and rendering phase where specific combinations of HTML attributes, nested elements, or script execution contexts fail to properly respect CSP enforcement policies. This creates a scenario where content that should be blocked by CSP rules is allowed to execute, effectively providing an attack surface for malicious actors to inject unauthorized scripts or resources. The flaw likely exists in the browser's security policy enforcement engine where HTML content is evaluated against CSP rules, and a specific parsing path fails to apply the necessary restrictions. Attackers can leverage this by constructing HTML pages that include elements designed to trigger the bypass condition, typically involving script tags, iframe elements, or other content that should be restricted by CSP but is not properly validated. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple bypass scenarios to potentially allow for more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft, data exfiltration, or privilege escalation within the browser context. The implementation weakness suggests that the security policy enforcement logic does not adequately account for all possible HTML parsing scenarios or fails to maintain consistent enforcement across different content types and execution contexts. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning because CSP is often the last line of defense in web applications, and its failure creates a cascading effect that can compromise multiple security controls.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-1672 extends beyond individual browser sessions to potentially affect entire web application security models that depend on CSP for protection. Organizations relying on CSP as a core security control may experience reduced security posture when users browse content through vulnerable Chrome versions, as attackers can craft pages that exploit this bypass mechanism. The vulnerability creates a persistent risk for web applications that implement CSP to protect against XSS attacks, as the bypass allows malicious content to execute with the privileges of the user's browsing session. This particular flaw affects both enterprise and consumer environments where Chrome is the primary browser, potentially exposing sensitive data and application functionality to unauthorized access. The impact is particularly severe for applications handling confidential information, financial data, or personal user information, where CSP is often implemented as a critical security control. Organizations may need to implement additional compensating controls or temporarily disable CSP-based protections until users upgrade to patched versions of Chrome. The vulnerability also affects web developers who may have confidence in CSP as a security mechanism, potentially leading to false sense of security and inadequate additional protections. The exploitation of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to user sessions, data theft, and potentially more serious consequences such as privilege escalation or system compromise. Security teams must evaluate their existing CSP policies and determine if they are vulnerable to this specific bypass mechanism, which may require re-evaluation of security architectures that depend heavily on CSP enforcement. The flaw represents a significant concern for security compliance frameworks that require robust web application security controls, as it demonstrates a failure in fundamental browser security mechanisms that should provide consistent protection across all content types and execution contexts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-1672 should focus on immediate remediation through browser updates while implementing additional defensive measures to reduce risk exposure. Organizations must prioritize updating all Chrome installations to version 122.0.6261.57 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the CSP bypass vulnerability. Until updates are deployed, security teams should consider implementing additional controls such as enhanced monitoring for suspicious HTML content, stricter network access controls, and application-level defenses that do not rely solely on CSP. Network administrators should monitor for traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around HTML content delivery and script execution. Web application developers should review their CSP policies to ensure they include multiple layers of protection and do not rely exclusively on script-src directives for security. Additional mitigations include implementing strict Content Security Policy headers with more restrictive configurations, enabling automatic updates for browser software, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar implementation flaws. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls or other network-level protections that can detect and block malicious HTML content before it reaches vulnerable browsers. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and the need for comprehensive security testing that includes edge case scenarios. Organizations should also develop incident response procedures specifically for CSP bypass vulnerabilities and ensure that security teams are trained to recognize and respond to such threats. The mitigation approach should include both immediate remediation actions and longer-term architectural improvements to reduce dependency on single security controls. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar implementation flaws in other browser components or web application security mechanisms. The vulnerability serves as a reminder that even well-established security controls can have implementation flaws that require ongoing vigilance and proactive security management.