CVE-2020-26272
IPC Message Delivery vulnerability in electron (npm)
What is CVE-2020-26272 About?
This vulnerability is an IPC Message Delivery flaw where messages sent from the main process to a subframe in the renderer process can be delivered to the wrong frame. This could lead to information disclosure or unintended actions within the application. Exploitation involves specific usage patterns of `remote`, `webContents.sendToFrame`, or `event.reply`, making it context-dependent and moderately difficult to exploit.
Affected Software
- electron
- >10.0.0, <10.2.0
- <9.4.0
- >11.0.0, <11.1.0
Technical Details
The vulnerability affects applications built with Electron, specifically when using remote, webContents.sendToFrame, or event.reply in IPC message handling. The core issue is a misrouting of Inter-Process Communication (IPC) messages. When the main process sends a message to an intended subframe within a renderer process, the internal message dispatching mechanism can incorrectly deliver the message to a different, unintended frame. This can happen if, for instance, a renderer process has multiple subframes, and an IPC message meant for one is instead routed to another. This misdelivery could lead to sensitive information being exposed to the wrong context, or actions intended for one frame being executed in another, potentially bypassing security boundaries within the application.
What is the Impact of CVE-2020-26272?
Successful exploitation may allow attackers to cause information disclosure, trigger unintended actions, bypass internal security boundaries, and potentially elevate privileges within the application.
What is the Exploitability of CVE-2020-26272?
Exploitation is of medium complexity, as it requires a specific application architecture that utilizes remote, webContents.sendToFrame, or event.reply to send messages to subframes. There are no explicit authentication or privilege requirements; rather, the attacker needs to find a way to manipulate or observe these misrouted IPC messages. This is generally a local exploitation scenario, as it concerns the internal communication within an Electron application, but could be triggered by an attacker if they can control content or code within a renderer process. The likelihood of exploitation is higher in complex Electron applications with numerous subframes and extensive IPC usage, especially if sensitive data is passed via these channels.
What are the Known Public Exploits?
| PoC Author | Link | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| No known exploits | ||
What are the Available Fixes for CVE-2020-26272?
Available Upgrade Options
- electron
- <9.4.0 → Upgrade to 9.4.0
- electron
- >10.0.0, <10.2.0 → Upgrade to 10.2.0
- electron
- >11.0.0, <11.1.0 → Upgrade to 11.1.0
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Book a demoAdditional Resources
- https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v9.4.0
- https://github.com/electron/electron/pull/26875
- https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v9.4.0
- https://www.electronjs.org/releases/stable?version=9#9.4.0
- https://github.com/electron/electron/pull/26875
- https://github.com/electron/electron/commit/36c695ce2a7e22c07fe1e30c61c00d20371daee2
- https://www.electronjs.org/releases/stable?version=9#9.4.0
- https://github.com/electron/electron/commit/0bbd268eb4caf35604443df5ff196980dd49e208
- https://github.com/electron/electron/commit/36c695ce2a7e22c07fe1e30c61c00d20371daee2
- https://github.com/electron/electron/commit/5c8e7e8b7f485ceafa8b271086d7b87e1de9dedd
What are Similar Vulnerabilities to CVE-2020-26272?
Similar Vulnerabilities: CVE-2021-22878 , CVE-2021-22880 , CVE-2021-29598 , CVE-2021-30514 , CVE-2021-30515
