Address Bar Spoofing

Summary

A critical Address Bar Spoofing vulnerability was identified in the Aloha Browser. An attacker can craft a specific URL that, when loaded, displays a trusted domain (e.g., google.com) in the browser's address bar while actually rendering content from a malicious third-party origin. This is a high-impact flaw typically used in advanced phishing attacks.

Environment

• Application: Aloha Browser

• Platform: iOS

• Date of Discovery: March 4, 2026

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open the Aloha Browser.

2. Input a manipulated URL into the address bar.

• Example 1: https://0x403for.github.io/spoofing.html

• Example 2: https://google.com:81/... (using port manipulation)

3. Execute the navigation (press "Go" or the arrow key).

4. Observe the address bar at the bottom of the screen once the page loads.

Expected Result

The browser's address bar should consistently and accurately display the actual origin (scheme + host) of the loaded content (e.g., 0x403for.github.io) to ensure user security.

Actual Result

The address bar incorrectly displays google.com along with the SSL padlock icon, despite the page content being served from a different domain (github.io). This misleads the user into believing they are on a legitimate site.

Impact

This vulnerability allows for highly convincing phishing attacks. Users may be tricked into providing sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial data, because the UI provides a false sense of security by showing a trusted URL and a valid SSL indicator.

Remediation Suggestions

• Origin Validation: Implement stricter URL parsing to ensure the UI component for the address bar always reflects the true origin after all redirects and port handling.

• UI Truncation Fix: Ensure that long URLs or specific port numbers do not cause the real domain to be pushed out of view or hidden by the UI.