CyberWire Daily

A cute cover for a dangerous vulnerability. [Research Saturday]

Jan 18, 2025

Nati Tal, Head of Guardio Labs, discusses the alarming findings from their research on 'CrossBarking,' which uncovered a critical vulnerability in the Opera browser. This flaw allows malicious extensions to exploit Private APIs, with potential actions like screen capturing and account hijacking. Tal highlights how a deceptive puppy-themed extension could easily bypass security measures in both Chrome and Opera's stores, reflecting the ongoing battle between productivity and security. The conversation sheds light on the evolving tactics of modern cyber threats.

24:44

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Episode guests

Nati Tal

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Guardio Labs revealed a significant 0-Day vulnerability in the Opera browser that allows malicious extensions to exploit private APIs for harmful actions.

The podcast underscores the necessity of revising browser extension security protocols to prevent deceptively benign applications from compromising user data.

Deep dives

Rising Cybersecurity Threats

Ransomware attacks have seen an 18% increase, contributing to a staggering $75 million record payout in 2024. Traditional security measures like firewalls and VPNs have proven insufficient as breaches continue to rise, leading organizations to reassess their cybersecurity strategies. The discussion emphasizes the need for innovative approaches, particularly the adoption of Zero Trust security models. By utilizing AI, companies can better protect their assets by making their attack surfaces invisible and removing opportunities for lateral movement within networks.

Intro

2min

Exploiting Vulnerabilities in Web Extensions

9min

Navigating the Risks of Browser Extensions

4min

Exploiting Browser Vulnerabilities

5min

Engaging Research on a Cybersecurity Vulnerability

2min

Nati Tal, Head of Guardio Labs, sits down to share their work on “CrossBarking” — Exploiting a 0-Day Opera Vulnerability with a Cross-Browser Extension Store Attack. Guardio Labs has uncovered a critical vulnerability in the Opera browser, enabling malicious extensions to exploit Private APIs for actions like screen capturing, browser setting changes, and account hijacking.

Highlighting the ease of bypassing extension store security, researchers demonstrated how a puppy-themed extension exploiting this flaw could infiltrate both Chrome and Opera's extension stores, potentially reaching millions of users. This case underscores the delicate balance between enhancing browser productivity and ensuring robust security measures, revealing the alarming tactics modern threat actors employ to exploit trusted platforms.

The research can be found here: