CVE-2024-11110: Google Chrome Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2024-11110 Overview

CVE-2024-11110 is an inappropriate implementation vulnerability in the Extensions component of Google Chrome prior to version 131.0.6778.69. This security flaw allows a remote attacker to bypass site isolation protections via a crafted Chrome Extension. Site isolation is a critical security boundary in Chrome that separates different websites into distinct processes, preventing malicious code from one site from accessing data belonging to another.

Critical Impact

Attackers can craft malicious Chrome Extensions that bypass site isolation, potentially enabling cross-site data theft and undermining a fundamental browser security mechanism.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome versions prior to 131.0.6778.69
• All platforms running vulnerable Chrome versions (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Chromium-based browsers that incorporate the vulnerable Extensions code

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-11-12 - CVE-2024-11110 published to NVD
• 2025-01-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-11110

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from an inappropriate implementation in how Chrome handles Extensions and their interaction with site isolation mechanisms. Site isolation is a defense-in-depth security feature designed to ensure that pages from different websites are always placed into different processes, each running in a sandbox that limits what the process is allowed to do. This architecture is critical for preventing Spectre-style attacks and other cross-site data leakage scenarios.

The flaw allows a specially crafted Chrome Extension to circumvent these isolation boundaries, potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive cross-origin data that should be protected by the browser's security model.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in improper implementation within the Chrome Extensions framework. The Extensions component failed to properly enforce site isolation boundaries, creating a pathway through which malicious extensions could access data across site boundaries. This represents a design flaw in how extension privileges interact with the browser's process isolation architecture.

Attack Vector

The attack requires user interaction to install a malicious Chrome Extension. Once installed, the crafted extension exploits the inappropriate implementation to bypass site isolation protections. The attack vector is network-based, where an attacker could host or distribute the malicious extension through various channels, requiring only that a user be convinced to install it.

The exploitation mechanism involves the malicious extension leveraging the implementation flaw to access cross-origin content that should be protected by site isolation. This could enable data exfiltration from other tabs or websites the user visits, undermining the fundamental security guarantees Chrome's architecture is designed to provide.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-11110

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual extension behavior accessing cross-origin content without legitimate justification
• Extensions making requests to unexpected domains or accessing data from other tabs
• Browser crashes or unexpected behavior when using extensions with untrusted origins
• Network traffic patterns indicating data exfiltration from the browser context

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Chrome extension installations for unauthorized or suspicious extensions
• Implement enterprise Chrome policies to whitelist only approved extensions
• Review extension permissions and audit extensions that request broad host permissions
• Deploy endpoint detection to monitor browser process behavior and extension activity

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Chrome enterprise logging to track extension installations and removals
• Monitor for extensions installed from outside the Chrome Web Store
• Implement network monitoring to detect unusual browser-originated traffic patterns
• Review Chrome sync settings to prevent unauthorized extension propagation across devices

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-11110

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 131.0.6778.69 or later immediately
• Audit all installed Chrome extensions and remove any that are untrusted or unnecessary
• Enable automatic Chrome updates to ensure rapid deployment of security patches
• Review enterprise extension policies and restrict extension installation to trusted sources only

Patch Information

Google has released a fix in Chrome version 131.0.6778.69 that addresses this inappropriate implementation vulnerability. The update was announced in the Google Chrome Desktop Update blog post. Users should update their browsers immediately to remediate this vulnerability. Additional technical details can be found in the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry.

Workarounds

• Disable or remove all non-essential Chrome extensions until patching is complete
• Use Chrome enterprise policies to block extension installation from unknown sources
• Enable Chrome's Enhanced Safe Browsing feature for additional protection against malicious extensions
• Consider temporarily using an alternative browser if immediate patching is not possible

# Chrome enterprise policy configuration to restrict extensions
# Add to Chrome policy configuration (Windows Registry or managed preferences)
# ExtensionInstallBlocklist: Block all extensions except those explicitly allowed
# ExtensionInstallAllowlist: Specify allowed extension IDs

# Linux/macOS managed preferences example:
mkdir -p /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed
cat > /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed/extension_policy.json << EOF
{
  "ExtensionInstallBlocklist": ["*"],
  "ExtensionInstallAllowlist": ["approved-extension-id-1", "approved-extension-id-2"]
}
EOF