CVE-2026-17889 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
Uninitialized Use in WebXR 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 WebXR implementation of Google Chrome browsers, specifically affecting versions prior to 151.0.7922.72. The flaw occurs in the WebXR API handling where the browser fails to properly initialize certain memory structures before using them, creating a potential information disclosure vector that could be exploited by remote attackers. The vulnerability falls under the category of uninitialized memory access as defined by CWE-457, which represents a class of issues where variables are used without being properly initialized, potentially exposing sensitive data from memory locations.
The technical execution of this attack involves crafting a malicious HTML page that triggers the WebXR API with specific parameters designed to exploit the uninitialized memory state. When Chrome processes such a page, it attempts to access memory regions that have not been properly initialized, leading to potential leakage of cross-origin data stored in adjacent memory locations. This type of vulnerability can be particularly dangerous as it allows attackers to extract information that should remain isolated between different origins, effectively breaking the same-origin policy that forms the foundation of web security.
From an operational perspective, this medium severity vulnerability poses significant risks to web application security and user privacy. Attackers could leverage this flaw to gather sensitive cross-origin data including but not limited to session tokens, personal information, or other confidential data that might be present in memory when the uninitialized variables are accessed. The exploitation requires only a remote attacker with access to a victim's browser, making it particularly concerning for web applications that rely heavily on WebXR technologies or those where users might encounter malicious content through social engineering or compromised websites.
The vulnerability demonstrates how complex web APIs can introduce security risks when proper memory management practices are not followed during implementation. According to ATT&CK framework, this represents a technique that could be categorized under T1557 for Dynamic Resolution and potentially T1071 for Application Layer Protocol, as it involves manipulating browser APIs to achieve unauthorized data access. The fact that this affects WebXR implementations specifically indicates the growing complexity of modern web standards and their associated security implications.
Mitigation efforts should focus on updating Chrome browsers to version 151.0.7922.72 or later, which includes patches addressing the uninitialized memory access issue. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect suspicious WebXR API usage patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, web developers should be aware of this vulnerability when implementing WebXR features and ensure proper error handling and memory initialization practices in their applications. Browser vendors should continue to emphasize rigorous security testing of complex web APIs, particularly those that interface with hardware capabilities or provide access to sensitive system resources.