CVE-2020-9753
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-9753 is a critical vulnerability in Whale Browser Installer versions before 1.2.0.5 that fails to verify digital signatures for Flash installer packages. This allows attackers to replace legitimate Flash installers with malicious executables, potentially leading to system compromise. Users of affected Whale Browser versions are at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- Whale Browser Installer
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system takeover via arbitrary code execution with highest privileges, leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Malware installation through trojanized Flash installer, resulting in credential theft, cryptocurrency mining, or system instability.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper endpoint protection and user awareness preventing malicious installer execution.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to download and execute malicious Flash installer, but the vulnerability itself is simple to exploit.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.2.0.5 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://cve.naver.com/detail/cve-2020-9753
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Whale Browser. 2. Navigate to Settings > About Whale. 3. Check for updates and install version 1.2.0.5 or later. 4. Restart the browser.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Flash installation
windowsPrevent Whale Browser from installing Flash components
Not applicable - configure through browser settings
Use alternative browser
windowsTemporarily switch to a different browser until patched
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized Flash installers
- Deploy endpoint protection with behavioral analysis to detect malicious installer activity
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Whale Browser version in Settings > About Whale. If version is below 1.2.0.5, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Not applicable - check through browser GUIVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Whale Browser version is 1.2.0.5 or higher in Settings > About Whale.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual Flash installer downloads
- Execution of Flash installer from unexpected locations
- Failed signature verification attempts
Network Indicators:
- Downloads of Flash installers from non-Adobe sources
- Unusual outbound connections after Flash installation
SIEM Query:
Process Creation where (Image contains 'flash' OR CommandLine contains 'flash') AND ParentImage contains 'whale'