CVE-2026-18008 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
Inappropriate implementation in Settings in Google Chrome prior to 151.0.7922.72 allowed a remote attacker to perform UI spoofing via malicious network traffic. (Chromium security severity: Low)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2026
This vulnerability resides in the settings component of google chrome browser and represents a ui spoofing attack vector that could potentially deceive users through malicious network traffic. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and user interface rendering mechanisms within the browser's settings module, allowing remote attackers to manipulate the display of settings dialogs and potentially confuse users into interacting with malicious elements. The vulnerability affects chrome versions prior to 151.0.7922.72 and is categorized as low severity by chromium security standards though it represents a significant user experience and trust boundary violation.
The technical implementation flaw involves how chrome processes and renders settings dialogs when receiving network traffic containing malicious content. When users navigate to browser settings or encounter certain network responses, the application fails to properly sanitize or validate the incoming data that influences ui elements displayed to users. This creates an opportunity for attackers to inject crafted content that modifies the appearance or behavior of settings interfaces, potentially leading users to make incorrect decisions based on misleading information.
From an operational perspective this vulnerability enables remote attackers to conduct deceptive attacks by manipulating how settings are presented to users, which could lead to unauthorized configuration changes or user confusion during critical browser operations. The attack requires network access to deliver malicious payloads that influence the rendering of browser settings, making it a network-based ui spoofing vector. Users might be misled into believing they are interacting with legitimate browser settings when they are actually encountering attacker-controlled content that could collect credentials, redirect traffic, or modify browser behavior.
The vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumeration cwes such as cwe-74 information exposure through manipulation of input data and potentially cwe-352 cross-site request forgery related to unauthorized actions performed in the context of a user's session. It also maps to attack techniques in the mitre att&ck framework under initial access methods that involve social engineering through ui manipulation and privilege escalation through user interface deception. The low severity classification reflects the limited scope of direct system compromise but highlights the importance of maintaining trust boundaries within browser applications.
Mitigation strategies should focus on updating chrome installations to version 151.0.7922.72 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed through improved input validation and ui rendering mechanisms. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect suspicious traffic patterns that might indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Browser security teams should also consider additional sandboxing measures for settings interfaces and enhanced user interface validation to prevent similar issues in future implementations. Regular security audits of browser components handling user interaction and configuration data remain essential for maintaining robust security postures against ui-based deception attacks.