Carpetbomb bug tarnishes Google Chrome

Shiny new vulnerabilities winkled out already

By John Leyden • Get more from this author

Posted in Security, 3rd September 2008 10:34 GMT

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Google Chrome isn't officially out yet, but security researchers have already picked the browser apart to discover a security vulnerability.

The WebKit engine used inside Chrome leaves it vulnerable to the infamous Safari carpetbombing flaw, security researcher Aviv Raff warns. The flaw stems from a combination of a vulnerability in Apple Safari WebKit and a Java security bug, security blogger Ryan Naraine reports.

As a result Windows users of the beta software might be tricked into downloading malicious files onto their desktop. Raff has published a harmless proof-of-concept exploit in order to illustrate his concerns.

Apple patched the vulnerability with Safari v3.1.2, but the underlying software behind Chrome is based on older code, hence the vulnerability.

Security watchers warn further vulnerabilities are bound to arise. Against this many are praising the speed and built-in security features of the browser. Chrome features built-in sandboxing for each tab, anti-phishing technology and a privacy (ie smut-surfing) mode. ®

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