CVE-2026-79051 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Incorrect authorization in Loader in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker to bypass web origin policy 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 an incorrect authorization flaw within the loader component of Google Chrome, specifically affecting versions prior to 152.0.7977.65, represents a significant breach in web origin policy enforcement. This issue stems from a logic error or misconfiguration in how the browser handles resource loading requests and validates their associated permissions. In modern web browsers, the same-origin policy is a critical security mechanism that restricts how documents or scripts loaded from one origin can interact with resources from another origin. When this policy is bypassed due to improper authorization checks within the loader, it allows malicious actors to access sensitive data or execute actions on behalf of users without proper consent or authentication. The Chromium project has classified this vulnerability as having a medium security severity, indicating that while exploitation requires specific conditions such as user interaction with a crafted HTML page, the potential for unauthorized data exfiltration or session hijacking remains substantial.
From a technical perspective, the loader is responsible for fetching and processing various web resources including scripts, stylesheets, images, and AJAX requests. The flaw likely involves an edge case where the browser fails to correctly verify that the requesting context has the necessary permissions to access the target resource across different origins. This could manifest as a failure to check cross-origin request headers properly or an inconsistency in how mixed content is handled. By crafting a specific HTML page, an attacker can trigger this misconfiguration, causing the browser to load and execute resources from a malicious domain that should have been blocked under normal security policies. This bypass effectively neutralizes one of the primary defenses against Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and data theft in web applications, allowing the attacker's code to run with the privileges of the victim's current session on the targeted site.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is primarily centered around privacy violations and potential account compromise. An attacker leveraging this flaw could read sensitive information such as cookies, local storage contents, or DOM elements from a different origin that are typically inaccessible due to browser security restrictions. This capability facilitates sophisticated phishing attacks where malicious pages can silently harvest credentials or session tokens while the user believes they are interacting with legitimate services. Furthermore, if the loaded resources include executable scripts, it could lead to further exploitation chains involving drive-by downloads or persistent malware installation depending on the specific implementation details of the loader's execution context. The medium severity rating reflects that while the attack vector is remote and requires a crafted page, the complexity might limit widespread automated exploitation compared to critical zero-day flaws.
To mitigate this risk, users must upgrade Google Chrome immediately to version 152.0.7977.65 or later where these authorization checks have been corrected. For organizations managing enterprise deployments, it is advisable to enforce automatic update policies to ensure all endpoints are patched against known browser vulnerabilities. Additionally, developers should review their web applications for any reliance on implicit trust in client-side security mechanisms and implement server-side validation for sensitive operations. Security monitoring tools can be configured to detect unusual cross-origin resource loading patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts of this nature. This incident underscores the importance of rigorous code auditing within core browser components like the loader, as even minor authorization lapses can have severe consequences for web ecosystem integrity.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-269 which describes Improper Authorization, where a user is able to access or perform actions they are not authorized to do. In terms of offensive security frameworks, this behavior corresponds to techniques found in the MITRE ATT&CK catalog related to Browser Security Misconfiguration and potentially Credential Access through browser-based attacks. The ability to bypass origin policies is often a precursor to more advanced lateral movement within web application environments or data staging for exfiltration. Understanding these mappings helps security teams prioritize patching efforts based on both technical severity and strategic threat landscape relevance, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively against the most impactful vulnerabilities first.