CVE-2025-0435: Google Chrome XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-0435 Overview

CVE-2025-0435 is an inappropriate implementation vulnerability in the Navigation component of Google Chrome on Android. This security flaw allows a remote attacker to perform UI spoofing through a crafted HTML page. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of navigation elements, which can be exploited to mislead users about the authenticity or origin of web content.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can spoof the user interface on affected Android devices running vulnerable Chrome versions, potentially enabling phishing attacks and credential theft through deceptive web pages.

Affected Products

Google Chrome for Android prior to version 132.0.6834.83
Google Android 12.0 with vulnerable Chrome installations
All Chrome-based browsers on Android platforms using affected Navigation components

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-15 - CVE-2025-0435 published to NVD
2025-04-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-0435

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under CWE-451 (User Interface Misrepresentation of Critical Information), which occurs when the user interface fails to properly represent critical information to the user. In this case, the Navigation component in Google Chrome for Android contains an inappropriate implementation that enables UI spoofing attacks.

The flaw allows attackers to craft malicious HTML pages that manipulate how navigation elements are displayed to users. When a victim visits a specially crafted web page, the attacker can alter the visual presentation of trusted UI elements, potentially making a malicious site appear legitimate or obscuring security indicators that would normally warn users of suspicious activity.

The attack requires user interaction—specifically, the victim must navigate to an attacker-controlled or compromised webpage. Once there, the spoofed UI elements can deceive users into believing they are interacting with a trusted website, facilitating credential harvesting, phishing campaigns, or social engineering attacks.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-0435 lies in the inappropriate implementation within Chrome's Navigation component on Android. The component fails to properly validate and render navigation-related UI elements, allowing external HTML content to influence or override the display of trusted browser chrome. This implementation gap creates a disconnect between the actual navigation state and what is visually presented to users.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based. An attacker must host or inject a malicious HTML page that exploits the navigation implementation flaw. The attack sequence involves:

Attacker creates a crafted HTML page designed to exploit the Navigation component weakness
Victim is lured to the malicious page through phishing emails, malicious advertisements, or compromised legitimate sites
The crafted page manipulates the browser's UI presentation to display spoofed navigation elements
User believes they are interacting with a trusted site and may provide sensitive information

The vulnerability does not require special privileges and works against any user running a vulnerable version of Chrome on Android. However, it does require the user to actively visit the malicious page, limiting its impact compared to zero-click exploits.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-0435

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected URL bar behavior or address inconsistencies during browsing sessions
Reports from users describing navigation elements that appear altered or suspicious
Phishing campaigns leveraging Chrome-specific UI spoofing techniques
Malicious HTML pages containing obfuscated navigation manipulation code

Detection Strategies

Monitor for anomalous web traffic patterns that may indicate users being redirected to UI spoofing pages
Implement URL reputation services to identify domains associated with Chrome-based phishing attacks
Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of identifying browser exploitation attempts
Analyze browser logs for unusual navigation events or page rendering anomalies

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable Chrome's Safe Browsing feature at the enterprise level to provide additional protection against malicious sites
Implement network-level monitoring to detect connections to known malicious domains
Track Chrome version deployments across mobile device fleets to ensure timely patching
Monitor security intelligence feeds for emerging campaigns exploiting this vulnerability

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-0435

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome on Android devices to version 132.0.6834.83 or later immediately
Enable automatic updates for Chrome on all managed Android devices
Notify users about the potential for UI spoofing attacks and reinforce security awareness training
Review mobile device management (MDM) policies to ensure Chrome update compliance

Patch Information

Google has addressed this vulnerability in Chrome version 132.0.6834.83. The fix was announced in the Chrome Stable Channel Update released on January 14, 2025. Organizations should prioritize deploying this update across all Android devices with Chrome installed. Additional technical details about the vulnerability can be found in the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry.

Workarounds

Restrict browsing to known trusted domains until patches can be applied
Consider deploying alternative browsers temporarily on devices that cannot be immediately updated
Enable Chrome's Enhanced Safe Browsing mode for additional protection against malicious sites
Implement web filtering at the network level to block known malicious URLs exploiting this vulnerability

bash

# Configuration example - Verify Chrome version on Android via ADB
adb shell dumpsys package com.android.chrome | grep versionName
# Expected output for patched version: versionName=132.0.6834.83 or higher

# Force update check via MDM policy (example for enterprise deployment)
# Ensure minimum Chrome version policy is set to 132.0.6834.83