CVE-2026-79151 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Improper input validation in Safebrowsing in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker to bypass system access restrictions via a crafted file. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as an improper input validation flaw within the SafeBrowsing component of Google Chrome prior to version 152.0.7977.65 represents a significant deviation from expected secure coding practices regarding data sanitization and boundary checking. This specific weakness allows for the bypassing of system access restrictions, which fundamentally undermines the integrity of the browser's security model by permitting unauthorized interactions with underlying operating system resources or network endpoints that should be strictly controlled. The root cause lies in the failure to adequately validate user-supplied input before it is processed by the SafeBrowsing subsystem, a critical module responsible for checking URLs and downloads against Google’s threat intelligence databases to protect users from malicious content.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-20 Improper Input Validation, where software does not sufficiently verify that incoming data conforms to expected formats, types, or constraints before processing it. In the context of SafeBrowsing, which handles external URLs and file downloads, such validation failures can lead to path traversal attacks, injection vulnerabilities, or unauthorized access controls being circumvented. An attacker could craft a specific file or URL payload designed to exploit this lack of rigorous checking, potentially tricking the browser into executing actions that violate its sandbox boundaries or security policies. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because SafeBrowsing operates with elevated privileges relative to standard web content execution contexts, meaning successful exploitation could lead to broader system compromise rather than just isolated tab isolation breaches.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure. By bypassing system access restrictions, a remote attacker gains the ability to interact with protected resources without proper authorization checks. This can result in unauthorized file reads or writes, potential privilege escalation if combined with other local vulnerabilities, and the execution of arbitrary code under the context of the browser process. The medium severity rating assigned by Chromium indicates that while exploitation requires specific conditions such as user interaction or a crafted file delivery mechanism, the resulting impact on confidentiality and integrity is substantial. Attackers could leverage this flaw to download malicious payloads without triggering SafeBrowsing warnings, effectively neutralizing one of Chrome’s primary defense layers against drive-by downloads and phishing sites.
This incident also reflects broader challenges in maintaining robust security controls within complex software ecosystems where multiple components interact with external data sources. The ATT&CK framework categorizes such behaviors under techniques involving initial access via trusted software or supply chain compromise, specifically looking at how attackers abuse legitimate features for malicious purposes. In this case, the SafeBrowsing feature itself is being abused due to implementation flaws rather than a design flaw in its intended purpose. Organizations and individual users must recognize that even security-focused modules can become vectors for attack if input handling is not meticulously managed across all code paths involved in processing external inputs.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve applying the vendor-provided patch immediately upon release, as this issue has been resolved in version 152.0.7977.65 and later releases of Google Chrome. Beyond updating software, administrators should enforce strict update policies to ensure that all endpoints are running patched versions promptly after vulnerability disclosures. Additionally, implementing network-level controls such as web proxies with deep packet inspection can provide an additional layer of defense by filtering out suspicious traffic before it reaches the browser client. Security awareness training for end-users remains critical, as many exploitation attempts rely on social engineering tactics to deliver crafted files or links that trigger these validation failures. Regular auditing of third-party components and dependencies within enterprise environments is also recommended to identify similar input handling weaknesses across other applications beyond just web browsers.