CVE-2026-17759 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
Uninitialized Use in Codecs in Google Chrome prior to 151.0.7922.72 allowed a remote attacker to obtain potentially sensitive information from process memory 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 variable flaw that existed in the codec handling components of google chrome versions prior to 151.0.7922.72. The issue falls under the common weakness enumeration cwe-457 which specifically addresses use of uninitialized variables in software development practices. When chrome processes multimedia content through its built-in codecs, certain memory locations were not properly initialized before being accessed, creating potential information disclosure pathways.
The attack vector involves a remote malicious actor who can craft a specially designed html page to trigger this vulnerability. When the browser renders such a page, the uninitialized memory values may contain remnants of previous data from process memory, potentially exposing sensitive information including cryptographic keys, user credentials, or system internals. This type of information leakage represents a medium severity threat according to chromium security classification and aligns with attack techniques documented in the attack pattern catalog under information gathering and memory disclosure methods.
The operational impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as this vulnerability could enable attackers to reconstruct portions of process memory that might contain confidential data. In the context of web browsers, this could expose session tokens, personal information, or other sensitive data that applications have previously handled. The vulnerability specifically affects chrome's multimedia processing pipeline where codecs decode various media formats, making it particularly concerning for users who frequently access rich media content online.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching to the latest chrome versions where this uninitialized variable issue has been resolved through proper memory initialization practices. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies to ensure all systems receive security patches promptly. Additionally, network monitoring solutions can help detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The fix typically involves ensuring all variables are properly initialized before use, which aligns with secure coding guidelines and defensive programming principles recommended by both cwe and owasp communities. Regular security assessments of browser components and web application frameworks should include checks for similar uninitialized variable patterns to prevent future occurrences of this class of vulnerability.
This vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor coding oversights in multimedia processing can create significant security risks when combined with remote execution capabilities through web browsers, highlighting the importance of thorough code review processes and automated static analysis tools in identifying such memory safety issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors.