CVE-2024-30056: Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2024-30056 Overview

CVE-2024-30056 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based). This vulnerability allows attackers to expose sensitive user information through the browser, potentially compromising user privacy and enabling further attacks. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-359 (Exposure of Private Personal Information to an Unauthorized Actor), indicating that private data may be inadvertently leaked to unauthorized parties.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation could allow attackers to access sensitive user information through the browser, potentially leading to privacy violations, credential theft, or enabling secondary attacks using the disclosed information.

Affected Products

• Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) - all versions prior to the security patch
• microsoft edge_chromium

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-05-25 - CVE-2024-30056 published to NVD
• 2025-01-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-30056

Vulnerability Analysis

This information disclosure vulnerability in Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) allows attackers to obtain sensitive information from affected browsers. The vulnerability requires network access and user interaction to exploit, meaning an attacker would need to convince a user to visit a malicious website or interact with specially crafted content.

The underlying weakness (CWE-359) involves the exposure of private personal information to unauthorized actors. In the context of a browser vulnerability, this could involve leaking browsing data, session information, authentication tokens, or other sensitive user data that should remain protected.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-30056 relates to improper handling of private user information within Microsoft Edge's Chromium-based architecture. The browser fails to adequately protect sensitive data under certain conditions, allowing unauthorized disclosure of private personal information. This type of vulnerability typically stems from insufficient access controls, improper data handling, or flaws in how the browser processes and exposes certain types of information to web content or extensions.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring user interaction for successful exploitation. An attacker would typically need to:

1. Create a malicious website or inject malicious content into a legitimate site
2. Lure the victim to visit the malicious content using Microsoft Edge
3. Exploit the vulnerability to extract sensitive information from the browser

The vulnerability can result in both confidentiality and integrity impacts, allowing attackers to read sensitive data and potentially modify certain browser behaviors. The attack complexity is low, meaning no special conditions or circumstances are required beyond user interaction.

The vulnerability does not require authentication or elevated privileges, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can convince a target to visit malicious content.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-30056

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual outbound network connections from Microsoft Edge to unknown or suspicious domains
• Unexpected data exfiltration patterns from browser processes
• Anomalous browser behavior when visiting specific websites
• Suspicious JavaScript execution patterns in browser memory

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Microsoft Edge version numbers across the enterprise to identify unpatched installations
• Implement browser telemetry analysis to detect unusual data access patterns
• Deploy network monitoring to identify potential data exfiltration from Edge browser processes
• Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for anomalous browser behavior

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Microsoft Edge browser telemetry and security logging
• Monitor for mass information disclosure events across multiple endpoints
• Track browser update compliance to ensure patches are deployed promptly
• Implement web content filtering to block known malicious sites that may attempt exploitation

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-30056

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Microsoft Edge to the latest version containing the security fix
• Review browser security policies and ensure automatic updates are enabled
• Educate users about the risks of visiting untrusted websites
• Consider implementing additional browser security controls such as site isolation

Patch Information

Microsoft has released a security update to address this vulnerability. Organizations should apply the update immediately through Windows Update, Microsoft Update, or enterprise deployment tools. The official security advisory is available from Microsoft Security Update Guide.

For enterprise environments, administrators can use Group Policy or Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager to deploy the update across all managed devices. Verify that automatic updates for Microsoft Edge are enabled to receive future security patches promptly.

Workarounds

• If immediate patching is not possible, consider restricting access to untrusted websites using web filtering solutions
• Enable Enhanced Security Mode in Microsoft Edge to provide additional protection against exploitation
• Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers on internal web applications
• Consider using browser isolation solutions to protect against web-based attacks

# Verify Microsoft Edge version (Windows PowerShell)
# Run this command to check if Edge is updated to a patched version
(Get-Item "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe").VersionInfo.FileVersion

# Force Microsoft Edge update via Group Policy
# Set the following registry key to enable automatic updates
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate" /v "UpdateDefault" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f