CVE-2026-79042 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Missing authorization in Payments in Google Chrome on on Android prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker leveraging social engineering to potentially bypass system access restrictions via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as missing authorization within the payment processing subsystem of Google Chrome for Android represents a significant flaw in how user consent and identity verification are handled during financial transactions. Prior to version 152.0.7977.65, the browser failed to enforce strict access controls when initiating or confirming payments through web-based interfaces. This architectural weakness allows an attacker who can trick a victim into visiting a maliciously crafted HTML page to potentially bypass system-level security restrictions designed to prevent unauthorized financial activity. The core issue lies in the insufficient validation of the user's intent and identity before executing payment-related API calls, which undermines the fundamental trust model required for secure e-commerce interactions on mobile devices.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-862, Missing Authorization, where an application fails to verify that the current actor is authorized to perform a specific action. In the context of Chrome's payment infrastructure, such as Google Pay integration or standard checkout flows utilizing Web Payments API, the browser likely accepted requests from untrusted origins without adequately verifying that the user had explicitly and securely consented to each step of the transaction process. This oversight creates an opportunity for cross-site request forgery-like scenarios where a malicious webpage could trigger payment dialogs or confirmations without proper user interaction validation. The severity is classified as Medium by Chromium security standards because while it requires social engineering, the potential impact on financial integrity and data confidentiality is substantial if exploited successfully against users who are not sufficiently vigilant regarding phishing attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability centers around the risk of unauthorized transactions and compromised account credentials. An attacker leveraging social engineering techniques can craft a deceptive webpage that mimics legitimate services or presents urgent scenarios to coerce victims into interacting with malicious elements embedded in the HTML content. Once the victim engages with the page, the lack of proper authorization checks may allow the script to initiate payment processes or extract sensitive authentication tokens associated with the user's digital wallet or banking credentials stored within Chrome. This could lead directly to financial loss for the end-user and erosion of trust in mobile web browsing security. Furthermore, such exploits can serve as vectors for broader account takeover attacks if session cookies or local storage data related to payment methods are exposed through improper handling during these unauthorized interactions.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating the browser software to version 152.0.7977.65 or later, where Google has implemented stricter authorization checks and enhanced validation logic within the payment subsystem. Users should ensure automatic updates are enabled for Chrome on Android to receive security patches promptly. Additionally, from a defensive posture perspective, organizations and individuals should employ multi-factor authentication wherever possible to add layers of verification beyond simple browser-based consent mechanisms. Security awareness training is also critical to help users recognize social engineering tactics that attempt to manipulate them into visiting malicious sites or interacting with suspicious payment prompts. Monitoring ATT&CK techniques related to Initial Access via Phishing and Execution through Browser Scripting can aid in detecting attempts to exploit this vulnerability before significant damage occurs, ensuring that security teams remain vigilant against evolving threats targeting mobile financial ecosystems.