CVE-2026-106288 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/06/2026
Missing authorization in Browser in Google Chrome prior to 155.0.8059.39 allowed a remote attacker leveraging social engineering to bypass system access restrictions via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Low)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as missing authorization within the browser component of Google Chrome, specifically in versions prior to 155.0.8059.39, represents a critical failure in enforcing access control policies during web content execution. This flaw allows an attacker who has successfully leveraged social engineering techniques to trick a user into visiting a maliciously crafted HTML page to bypass system-level or application-level security restrictions. The core technical issue lies in the browser's handling of permissions and authorization checks when processing specific DOM manipulations or API calls initiated by untrusted web content. Instead of validating whether the origin of the request has explicit permission to perform certain privileged actions, the browser erroneously grants access based on flawed logic within its rendering engine or security sandbox boundaries. This misconfiguration effectively weakens the isolation model that Chrome employs to protect user data and system integrity from malicious websites.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability falls under the category of improper privilege management where the application fails to enforce appropriate authorization levels for different users or roles, in this case distinguishing between trusted internal contexts and untrusted external web content. The attacker crafts an HTML page that exploits specific browser behaviors, potentially involving cross-origin resource sharing mechanisms, iframe sandboxing loopholes, or API calls that require elevated privileges such as accessing local file systems, clipboard data, or sensitive user information. By triggering these actions through a seemingly benign webpage, the malicious script executes with higher permissions than intended by the security model. This bypass is particularly dangerous because it relies on social engineering to lower the victim's defenses, making traditional perimeter-based security measures ineffective against such targeted attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for end-users and organizations relying on Chrome as their primary web browser. A successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive user data, including cookies, stored passwords, browsing history, or local files depending on the specific privileges bypassed. In enterprise environments where browsers are used with restricted profiles or kiosk modes, this flaw could allow a compromised webpage to escape these restrictions and interact with underlying operating system resources. This undermines the principle of least privilege and compromises the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions. Although classified as low severity by Chromium security metrics due to the dependency on social engineering for initial access, the potential for data exfiltration or further lateral movement within a network remains a serious concern if combined with other vulnerabilities or weak endpoint protection strategies.
Mitigation efforts primarily involve updating Google Chrome to version 155.0.8059.39 or later, where these authorization checks have been corrected and strengthened. Administrators should ensure that automatic updates are enabled for all endpoints within their infrastructure to minimize the window of exposure. Additionally, implementing strict content security policies (CSP) can help mitigate some risks by restricting the sources from which scripts and other resources can be loaded. User awareness training is also crucial in this context, as social engineering remains a primary vector for exploitation. Educating users on recognizing suspicious links and avoiding interaction with untrusted web pages reduces the likelihood of successful attack initiation. Security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to unusual browser behavior or unexpected network connections originating from Chrome processes, which may signal an attempted exploit of this vulnerability.
This incident highlights the importance of rigorous security testing in browser development, particularly regarding authorization logic across different execution contexts. It aligns with common weakness enumeration standards such as CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management and reflects tactics observed in advanced persistent threats where attackers seek to escalate privileges within a user's environment. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of behavior under techniques involving client-side exploitation, specifically those that abuse browser features for unauthorized access. Continuous monitoring and timely patching remain the most effective defenses against such vulnerabilities, ensuring that security controls are consistently applied across all versions in use. Organizations must maintain an up-to-date inventory of software assets to ensure rapid deployment of fixes when new CVEs are disclosed by vendors like Google Chrome.