CVE-2026-79226 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Improper privilege management in Regional Capabilities in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker leveraging social engineering to bypass system access restrictions via a crafted Chrome extension. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as an improper privilege management issue within the Regional Capabilities of Google Chrome prior to version 152.0.7977.65 represents a significant flaw in how browser extensions interact with system-level access controls. This specific weakness allows for the bypassing of standard security boundaries that are designed to restrict what web content and third-party scripts can do on a user's machine. The core technical failure lies in the extension framework's handling of permissions, where certain capabilities intended for regional or localized features were not adequately sandboxed from higher-privilege operations. This misconfiguration creates an attack surface where malicious actors can exploit the trust relationship between the browser and its extensions to execute actions that should be prohibited under normal security policies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is primarily driven by social engineering tactics rather than purely automated exploitation techniques. An attacker must craft a deceptive Chrome extension or lure a user into installing one, leveraging psychological manipulation to gain initial access. Once installed, the malicious extension can abuse its elevated privileges due to the improper management logic within the Regional Capabilities module. This allows the adversary to bypass system access restrictions, potentially leading to unauthorized data exfiltration, installation of additional malware, or complete compromise of the user's browsing session and associated credentials. The severity is classified as medium by Chromium security standards because while it requires user interaction, the resulting privilege escalation can have severe consequences for individual privacy and organizational security postures.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-269, which denotes Improper Privilege Management. This category covers situations where software does not properly assign or manage privileges, leading to actions being performed without proper authorization. Furthermore, the exploitation method maps closely to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059, Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically through browser extensions that act as a vehicle for executing arbitrary code or commands within the context of the user's session. The use of social engineering places this in the initial access phase of an attack lifecycle, where trust is abused rather than technical exploits alone being sufficient to breach defenses.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate patching and long-term security hygiene. Users should immediately update Google Chrome to version 152.0.7977.65 or later to resolve the underlying code flaw in the Regional Capabilities module. Beyond updating, organizations should enforce strict policies regarding browser extension installation, utilizing whitelisting mechanisms to prevent unauthorized extensions from being added to enterprise browsers. Security awareness training is also critical to help users identify and avoid social engineering attempts that seek to trick them into installing malicious or suspicious add-ons. Regular auditing of installed extensions can further reduce the risk by ensuring only vetted and necessary tools remain active within the browser environment.