CVE-2026-17757 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
Uninitialized Use in Skia in Google Chrome prior to 151.0.7922.72 allowed a remote attacker to leak cross-origin data via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2026
This vulnerability represents an uninitialized memory access issue within the Skia graphics library that forms a critical component of Google Chrome's rendering engine. The flaw exists in the way Skia handles certain graphical operations when processing maliciously crafted HTML content, creating a pathway for remote attackers to exploit cross-origin data leakage. The vulnerability specifically affects Chrome versions prior to 151.0.7922.72 and has been classified with a medium severity rating by Chromium security team, indicating potential risk to user privacy and data integrity. The root cause stems from improper initialization of memory variables within Skia's graphics processing routines, where uninitialized memory values are inadvertently exposed during rendering operations.
The technical execution of this vulnerability involves crafting an HTML page that triggers specific graphical operations within the Skia library, causing it to access uninitialized memory locations. When Chrome processes such malicious content, the uninitialized memory may contain data from previous operations or system memory regions that have not been properly cleared or initialized. This allows attackers to potentially extract sensitive information including cross-origin data from other web pages running in the same browser context. The flaw demonstrates a classic case of improper initialization leading to information disclosure, which aligns with CWE-457: Use of Uninitialized Variable and CWE-248: Uncaught Exception. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability through remote code execution within the browser's rendering context, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no local privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information leakage, as cross-origin data exposure can compromise user privacy and potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. An attacker could extract session cookies, authentication tokens, or other sensitive data from different origins within the same browser instance. This type of vulnerability represents a significant concern for web security since it operates at the rendering layer where multiple domains interact, creating potential attack surfaces for data exfiltration. The medium severity classification suggests that while exploitation may require specific conditions and target environments, the potential for privacy violations makes this a critical issue for browser vendors and users to address immediately. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007: Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as it represents a method of information extraction that could be used in conjunction with other attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve updating Chrome to version 151.0.7922.72 or later, which contains the necessary patches to properly initialize memory variables within Skia's graphics processing functions. Browser vendors should also implement additional sandboxing measures and memory protection techniques to limit the potential impact of uninitialized memory access. Users should maintain regular browser updates and employ security extensions that monitor for suspicious rendering activities. The fix typically involves ensuring proper initialization of all variables before use, implementing memory sanitization routines, and adding additional validation checks within the graphics processing pipeline. Organizations should also consider network-level monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts targeting this class of vulnerabilities, as the attack surface expands with browser-based exploitation methods that leverage rendering engine flaws for information disclosure attacks.