CVE-2020-15174 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

In Electron before versions 11.0.0-beta.1, 10.0.1, 9.3.0, or 8.5.1, the

will-navigate

event can be bypassed, allowing sub-frame top-frame navigations across sites. This CVE has a CVSS base score of 7.5.

Understanding CVE-2020-15174

What is CVE-2020-15174?

This CVE relates to Electron versions prior to 11.0.0-beta.1, 10.0.1, 9.3.0, or 8.5.1 where a security issue allows bypassing the

will-navigate

event.

The Impact of CVE-2020-15174

The vulnerability has a high severity level with an attack complexity of HIGH and integrity impact of HIGH.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-15174

Vulnerability Description

The

will-navigate

event in affected Electron versions can be exploited by sub-frames for top-frame navigations across different sites.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Electron
Vendor: Electron
Versions affected:
= 8.0.0-beta.0, < 8.5.1

= 9.0.0-beta.0, < 9.3.0

= 10.0.0-beta.0, < 10.0.1

Exploitation Mechanism

The issue allows sub-frames to perform top-frame navigations across sites, bypassing the

will-navigate

event.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Electron to versions 11.0.0-beta.1, 10.0.1, 9.3.0, or 8.5.1 to apply the patch.
Implement sandboxing for all iframes using the sandbox attribute.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Electron to the latest versions to ensure security patches are applied.
Follow secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply the necessary patches provided by Electron to address the vulnerability.