CVE-2026-79212 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Missing authorization in Passwords in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process and leveraged social engineering to bypass web origin policy via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The vulnerability identified in Google Chrome prior to version 152.0.7977.65 represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms within the browser's password management subsystem. This flaw, classified under CWE-862 as Missing Authorization, allows an attacker who has already achieved code execution within a renderer process to escalate privileges and bypass web origin policies. The core technical issue lies in the insufficient validation of user intent or administrative rights when accessing stored credentials. Typically, browsers enforce strict isolation between different security contexts to prevent malicious scripts from reading sensitive data such as passwords. However, this specific implementation flaw permitted unauthorized retrieval or manipulation of password entries without requiring explicit user consent or proper authentication checks at the point of access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant because it undermines one of the primary defenses against credential theft: origin isolation. By leveraging social engineering techniques alongside a compromised renderer process, an attacker can craft a malicious HTML page that tricks the browser into revealing stored passwords. This scenario often involves convincing a user to visit a specific URL or interact with a deceptive interface while another component of the system has already been exploited via a separate vulnerability chain. Once inside the renderer context, which is normally sandboxed from sensitive data stores, the attacker exploits this authorization gap to query the password manager API directly. The result is the exfiltration of usernames and passwords associated with various websites, leading to potential account takeover and further lateral movement within affected systems.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.004, Unsecured Credentials: Browser Credential Dumping. Attackers utilize browser-based credential dumping to harvest sensitive information directly from the local storage mechanisms of web browsers. The combination of renderer compromise and social engineering highlights a multi-stage attack vector where initial access is gained through traditional means such as phishing or drive-by downloads, followed by privilege escalation within the application layer itself. This emphasizes that even with sandboxing in place, logical flaws in how internal components interact can negate those technical controls if proper authorization checks are not enforced at every step of data retrieval.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve upgrading to Google Chrome version 152.0.7977.65 or later, where the underlying access control logic has been corrected to ensure that password-related operations require appropriate user interaction and verification. Organizations should enforce strict browser update policies across all endpoints to minimize exposure windows for such vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication on critical accounts reduces the risk posed by stolen credentials, even if an attacker successfully exploits this flaw. Security awareness training is also recommended to help users recognize social engineering attempts that might facilitate renderer compromise or trick them into interacting with malicious content that could trigger similar exploitation paths in unpatched environments.