CVE-2026-79218
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Incorrect authorization in Sandbox in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to potentially execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as an incorrect authorization flaw within Google Chrome's browser engine prior to version 152.0.7977.65 represents a critical breach in the isolation mechanisms designed to protect user systems from malicious web content. This issue specifically affects the sandboxing architecture, which is fundamental to modern web security models. The core technical failure lies in an authorization check that was either missing or improperly implemented within the renderer process context. In standard browser operations, the renderer process handles the execution of untrusted code fetched from remote websites and operates under strict privileges restrictions known as a sandbox. This sandbox prevents any code running inside it from directly accessing sensitive system resources such as the file system, network stack at a low level, or other processes on the host machine. The flaw allowed an attacker who had already managed to execute arbitrary JavaScript within this restricted environment to bypass these constraints through a specifically crafted HTML page.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe because it effectively neutralizes one of the primary defenses against drive-by download attacks and cross-site scripting exploits that escalate into code execution. By exploiting the incorrect authorization logic, an attacker could transition from being confined within the browser's sandbox to executing arbitrary native code on the victim's operating system with the privileges of the current user. This escalation allows for a wide range of malicious activities including data theft, installation of persistent malware, or using the compromised machine as part of a botnet. The severity is classified as high because it requires no physical access and can be triggered simply by visiting a maliciously constructed webpage, making it suitable for targeted phishing campaigns or broad distribution via compromised advertising networks.
From an industry standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-269 which denotes Improper Privilege Management, specifically where the application does not properly restrict permissions to authorized users. Furthermore, in terms of attack vectors and tactics, this exploit maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1055 Process Injection or more broadly to T1047 Windows or Linux Local Command Execution depending on the underlying platform, as it involves executing code outside the intended security boundary. The exploitation path typically follows a sequence where initial access is gained via social engineering leading to the malicious site, followed by exploit delivery through HTML and JavaScript that triggers the authorization bypass in the renderer process.
Mitigation for this vulnerability primarily relies on immediate software updates. Administrators and end-users must upgrade Google Chrome to version 152.0.7977.65 or later where these authorization checks have been corrected and hardened against such bypasses. In environments where patching is not immediately feasible, network-level controls can provide some mitigation by blocking access to known malicious domains hosting exploit kits that target this specific flaw. Additionally, enforcing strict Content Security Policies (CSP) on internal web applications can reduce the attack surface by limiting which scripts are allowed to execute and preventing inline script execution which is often a vector for such renderer-based exploits. Regular auditing of browser configurations and ensuring automatic update mechanisms are enabled remain best practices for maintaining this security posture.