CVE-2020-6531 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A side-channel information leakage vulnerability in Google Chrome prior to 84.0.4147.89 allowed remote attackers to leak cross-origin data via a crafted HTML page.

Understanding CVE-2020-6531

This CVE involves a specific vulnerability in Google Chrome that could lead to the leakage of sensitive data.

What is CVE-2020-6531?

CVE-2020-6531 is a side-channel information leakage vulnerability in the scroll to text feature of Google Chrome versions prior to 84.0.4147.89.

The Impact of CVE-2020-6531

The vulnerability allowed remote attackers to exploit the scroll to text feature to leak cross-origin data through a maliciously crafted HTML page.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-6531

This section provides more in-depth technical details about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Google Chrome allowed for side-channel information leakage through the scroll to text functionality.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Chrome
Vendor: Google
Versions Affected: Prior to 84.0.4147.89

Exploitation Mechanism

Remote attackers could exploit this vulnerability by using a specially crafted HTML page to leak cross-origin data.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-6531 requires immediate action and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Google Chrome to version 84.0.4147.89 or newer to mitigate the vulnerability.
Avoid visiting untrusted websites or clicking on suspicious links.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and applications to the latest versions.
Implement strong security measures such as firewalls and antivirus software.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all security patches and updates for Google Chrome are promptly applied to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.