CVE-2026-17942 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
Side-channel information leakage in SVG 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: Low)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2026
This vulnerability represents a side-channel information leakage flaw in Google Chrome's handling of Scalable Vector Graphics files, specifically affecting versions prior to 151.0.7922.72. The issue stems from how Chrome processes SVG content and manages cross-origin resource access, creating an unintended pathway for data exfiltration. Attackers could craft malicious HTML pages that exploit weaknesses in the browser's rendering engine to extract sensitive information from different origins, effectively bypassing traditional security boundaries that should protect against such cross-origin data access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of SVG elements within HTML documents to trigger specific memory access patterns or rendering behaviors that inadvertently expose information about other domains or resources. This type of attack leverages timing variations or memory state differences that occur during SVG processing, allowing malicious actors to infer sensitive data through indirect measurement techniques. The flaw operates at the intersection of browser rendering and security boundary enforcement, where SVG parsing does not adequately isolate cross-origin content from the main execution context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage, as it represents a fundamental breakdown in Chrome's security model for handling vector graphics. Remote attackers could potentially access cookies, cached resources, or other sensitive information from different origins without user interaction, creating opportunities for credential theft, session hijacking, or corporate data exfiltration. The low severity classification does not diminish the risk, as side-channel attacks often serve as precursors to more sophisticated exploitation techniques and can be combined with other vulnerabilities to create more severe threats.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-203 - "Information Exposure Through Implementation Artifacts" and relates to ATT&CK technique T1557.001 - "Adversary-in-the-Middle: Local Port Scan," though it operates through a different mechanism involving browser rendering rather than network scanning. The security implications extend to web application security, as this flaw demonstrates how seemingly benign features like SVG support can become attack vectors when proper isolation mechanisms are not implemented. Organizations should consider this vulnerability in their risk assessment frameworks, particularly for environments where Chrome is the primary browser and cross-origin data protection is critical.
Mitigation strategies include immediate browser updates to version 151.0.7922.72 or later, which addresses the specific rendering and isolation issues within SVG processing. Additionally, administrators should implement content security policies that restrict SVG loading from untrusted sources and consider network-level monitoring for unusual cross-origin resource access patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of comprehensive security testing for all browser features, particularly those involving complex rendering engines that process external content. Regular security audits should include assessment of vector graphics handling capabilities to prevent similar side-channel vulnerabilities from emerging in other browser components or web technologies.