CVE-2024-2629 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 03/20/2024
Incorrect security UI in iOS in Google Chrome prior to 123.0.6312.58 allowed a remote attacker to perform UI spoofing via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2025
This vulnerability represents a significant security flaw in the user interface security mechanisms of Google Chrome running on iOS devices. The issue stems from improper handling of security indicators within the browser's interface, specifically affecting how Chrome displays security warnings and visual cues to users. The vulnerability falls under the category of UI spoofing attacks where malicious actors can manipulate the browser's visual presentation to deceive users into believing they are interacting with legitimate websites when they are actually encountering fraudulent content. This type of attack directly compromises the trust model that users place in their browser's security warnings and visual indicators.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when Chrome processes specially crafted HTML pages that exploit the browser's security UI rendering logic. Attackers can manipulate the visual presentation of web content to make phishing pages appear more legitimate or to obscure security warnings that would normally alert users to potential threats. The flaw exists in the browser's handling of security indicators within the iOS environment, where Chrome's security UI elements are not properly validated or secured against manipulation by malicious web content. This vulnerability specifically affects versions of Chrome prior to 123.0.6312.58, indicating that it was a targeted issue within a specific release cycle and likely related to how the browser's security UI components interacted with iOS's security model.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple phishing attacks to potentially enable more sophisticated social engineering campaigns. Users may be misled into entering sensitive information on fraudulent websites that appear legitimate due to the compromised security UI. The medium severity classification indicates that while this vulnerability does not directly allow for code execution or complete system compromise, it significantly weakens the security posture of affected browsers by undermining user trust in security warnings. This type of attack can be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may be targeted through spear-phishing campaigns that exploit this vulnerability to bypass normal security awareness measures.
Security researchers have classified this issue under the broader category of user interface security vulnerabilities, with direct implications for the principle of least privilege and user trust in security systems. The vulnerability demonstrates how modern browsers must maintain robust security boundaries between legitimate content and potentially malicious web pages, particularly in mobile environments where users may be more susceptible to UI-based attacks. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader security posture assessment, particularly in environments where mobile browser security is critical for protecting sensitive data. The remediation approach requires updating to Chrome version 123.0.6312.58 or later, which implements proper security UI validation mechanisms. This update addresses the underlying issue by strengthening the browser's security UI rendering logic to prevent malicious content from manipulating visual security indicators. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security software and implementing layered security approaches that do not rely solely on browser security warnings for protection against sophisticated attacks.