CVE-2025-13992 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 12/03/2025
Side-channel information leakage in Navigation and Loading in Google Chrome prior to 139.0.7258.66 allowed a remote attacker to bypass site isolation via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/04/2025
This vulnerability represents a side-channel information leakage issue within Google Chrome's navigation and loading mechanisms that existed prior to version 139.0.7258.66. The flaw allows remote attackers to exploit information disclosure channels that should not be accessible across different browsing contexts. The vulnerability specifically targets the site isolation protections that Chrome implements to prevent cross-site scripting and information leakage between different origins. This represents a significant security concern as it undermines fundamental browser security boundaries that separate sensitive data between different websites and domains.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits timing-based side channels that occur during navigation and loading operations. Attackers can craft malicious HTML pages that observe subtle timing differences or memory access patterns to infer information about other sites or processes running in the browser. This type of information leakage typically occurs when the browser's rendering engine or network stack exhibits different behavior patterns based on internal state information that should remain isolated. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of browser architecture and security isolation mechanisms, where timing variations in resource allocation or page loading can reveal sensitive data about other origins.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure as it enables attackers to bypass crucial site isolation protections that Chrome implements to prevent cross-site attacks. This weakness can potentially allow attackers to gather information about other tabs, windows, or even different origins that should be separated by the browser's security model. The medium severity classification reflects the fact that while this vulnerability doesn't directly enable code execution or complete system compromise, it provides attackers with sufficient information to conduct more sophisticated attacks such as cross-site scripting or data exfiltration. The vulnerability directly relates to chromium security principles and represents a failure in maintaining proper process isolation between different browsing contexts.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-203, which describes "Information Exposure Through Discrepancy" where information is leaked through differences in behavior or timing between different system states. The issue also maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers could leverage the information leakage to craft more effective attacks against other system components. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of T1566 related to credential access through information disclosure attacks. The remediation requires updating Chrome to version 139.0.7258.66 or later, which includes patches that address the timing discrepancies in navigation and loading operations. Organizations should also implement monitoring for unusual timing patterns in browser behavior and consider additional security measures such as enabling stricter content security policies and maintaining updated browser versions across all systems. The fix likely involves tightening the isolation mechanisms during page loading and navigation operations to prevent timing-based information leakage between different security contexts.