CVE-2026-79254 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Incorrect reference resolution in CustomTabs in Google Chrome on on Android prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker to bypass system access restrictions via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Low)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as an incorrect reference resolution within the CustomTabs component of Google Chrome for Android represents a significant flaw in how the browser handles navigation contexts and resource loading. This issue, present in versions prior to 152.0.7977.65, stems from a logic error where the application fails to properly validate or resolve references when processing URLs within custom tab sessions. CustomTabs are designed to allow third-party applications to display web content within their own UI while leveraging Chrome's rendering engine and security features. However, the flaw in reference resolution allows for a discrepancy between the intended context of the loaded page and the actual permissions granted by the operating system or the browser sandbox. This architectural weakness creates an opportunity for privilege escalation at the application level, specifically enabling actions that should be restricted under normal browsing conditions.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability is classified as CWE-20: Improper Input Validation because the software does not adequately verify the integrity and origin of references during the loading process. When a remote attacker crafts an HTML page containing specific malicious payloads or manipulated links, they can exploit the misconfigured reference resolution to trick the browser into treating untrusted content with higher trust levels than intended. This bypasses system access restrictions that are typically enforced by Android's permission model and Chrome's same-origin policy. The attack vector is classified as remote because it requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website, making it highly scalable for phishing campaigns or drive-by download attacks where the goal is to gain unauthorized access to device resources or sensitive data stored within the browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability allows an attacker to bypass security boundaries that protect user privacy and system integrity. By exploiting the incorrect reference resolution, a remote adversary can potentially access restricted APIs, read cookies from other domains, or interact with native Android components in ways that are normally prohibited for web content. This undermines the isolation guarantees provided by Chrome's sandboxing mechanisms. Although the Chromium project has assigned this issue a low security severity rating, indicating it may not lead directly to arbitrary code execution on the device, the ability to bypass access restrictions can still result in significant data leakage or unauthorized state changes within the application environment. The risk is particularly acute for users who rely on CustomTabs for secure transactions or sensitive communications, as their trust in the browser's security model is exploited.
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is imperative that Android and Chrome users update to version 152.0.7977.65 or later immediately upon availability. This patch corrects the reference resolution logic within CustomTabs, ensuring that all navigation contexts are properly validated against system access policies before execution. For developers integrating CustomTabs into their applications, it is recommended to review current implementations for any reliance on potentially ambiguous URL resolutions and to adhere strictly to best practices outlined in OWASP guidelines regarding secure web view configurations. Additionally, maintaining up-to-date security patches across the Android ecosystem remains the most effective defense against such logic-based vulnerabilities that exploit trust relationships between components rather than traditional memory corruption flaws.