Information security researchers have found a serious security vulnerability in the Google Chrome browser and other browsers based on the Chromium project, affecting about 2.5 billion users worldwide.
Imperva researchers said that the seriousness of the vulnerability lies in the fact that it allows hackers to steal users’ sensitive files, including the contents of cryptocurrency wallets and login credentials, reports Al-Rai daily quoting Al Jazeera.
According to the researchers, there is a flaw in the way Chrome and Chromium-based browsers (the open source web browser project) interact with so-called symbolic links in file systems.
The researchers explain that “Symlinks” are files that point to another file or directory in operating systems, and allow the system to treat the file or directory associated with the original files as if they were in the same location.
The researchers stated that “these (symbolic links) can be useful for creating shortcuts, redirecting file paths, or organizing files in a more flexible way.” But if these files are not handled properly, they can turn into vulnerability for hackers to exploit.
Describing a possible attack scenario, the researchers said a hacker could create a fake cryptocurrency wallet and website that asks users to download its recovery keys.
And if the user downloads these files, they may be symbolic links to a sensitive file or folder on the user’s computer, and because of the defect in the browser’s handling of these files, it may lead to the theft of cryptocurrency wallets and credentials on the device.
The worst part, according to the researchers, is that the victim will be completely oblivious to the fact that their sensitive data has been compromised, especially since many cryptocurrency wallets and other online services require users to download recovery keys to access their accounts.
“In the attack scenario, the attacker would take advantage of this common practice by providing the user with a zip file containing a symbolic link, instead of the actual recovery keys,” the researchers explained.
The security vulnerability is currently being tracked and addressed by Google with version 108 of the Chrome browser.
Users are advised to install the latest version of the browser and browsers based on the Chromium project, prior to downloading any recovery keys.
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