CVE-2026-78957 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Information leak in Mobile in Google Chrome on on iOS prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a local attacker to obtain sensitive information via a crafted file. (Chromium security severity: Low)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as an information leak within the mobile version of Google Chrome for iOS, specifically affecting versions prior to 152.0.7977.65, represents a critical failure in memory safety and data isolation mechanisms. This flaw allows a local attacker who has achieved code execution or file access privileges on the device to extract sensitive information that should remain confined within the browser's secure sandbox environment. The severity is classified as Low by Chromium security standards, indicating that while the exploitability requires specific conditions such as local access, the potential for data exfiltration poses a tangible risk to user privacy and confidentiality.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability likely stems from improper handling of file descriptors or memory buffers when processing crafted files within the mobile browser context. When Chrome processes certain types of input files on iOS, it may fail to properly sanitize or isolate temporary data structures used during rendering or parsing operations. This oversight can result in sensitive internal state information, such as session tokens, cached credentials, or private browsing history fragments, being written to accessible memory locations or log files that are not adequately protected by the operating system's sandboxing policies. The attacker leverages a crafted file designed to trigger this specific code path, causing the browser to inadvertently expose these data segments outside its intended security boundary.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is primarily centered on confidentiality rather than integrity or availability. A local attacker with physical access to an unlocked device or those who have compromised user-level permissions can exploit this flaw to gather intelligence about the victim's browsing habits, potentially including login states for web services that rely on Chrome-managed cookies and sessions. This information could be used for further social engineering attacks, account takeover attempts if combined with other vulnerabilities, or simply for invasive surveillance of the device owner. While it does not directly allow remote code execution or full system compromise, it erodes the trust model inherent in mobile browsers by allowing data leakage across process boundaries that should remain strictly isolated.
This incident aligns closely with CWE-200, which defines an Information Exposure vulnerability where sensitive information is disclosed to unauthorized actors without explicit intent. Furthermore, from a threat modeling perspective using the MITRE ATT&CK framework for iOS, this behavior corresponds to techniques related to Credential Access and Data Staging, specifically how attackers might harvest credentials or sensitive data stored locally on mobile devices. The attack vector requires local access, placing it within the scope of physical proximity attacks or compromised user accounts rather than remote network-based exploitation.
Mitigation strategies focus heavily on patching and behavioral controls. Users must immediately update Google Chrome to version 152.0.7977.65 or later, as this release contains the necessary code fixes to enforce stricter memory isolation and input validation for file processing routines. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, administrators should restrict local application installation privileges to trusted sources only and enable strict sandboxing policies if available through mobile device management solutions. Additionally, users are advised to avoid opening files from untrusted origins within the browser context and to utilize private browsing modes when handling sensitive documents, as these modes often employ additional memory clearing mechanisms that may mitigate some aspects of data leakage even in vulnerable versions until a full patch is applied.