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Google Chrome EUVDEUVD-2026-50916

| CVE-2026-17990 CRITICAL
Improper Input Validation (CWE-20)
2026-07-30 Chrome GHSA-vj3f-x3cj-5hwv
Critical
Disputed · 9.6 Vendor: Chrome
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Compromise Chrome renderer via prior bug
  2. Delivery
    Deliver crafted PDF to victim
  3. Exploit
    Feed malformed input to WebAuthn handler
  4. Execution
    Trigger sandbox escape (scope change)
  5. Impact
    Execute code in browser process

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V2 - Validation and Business Logic Input validation, allowlisting
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires that the attacker has ALREADY compromised Chrome's renderer process (a pre-existing initial-access bug is a hard prerequisite - this CVE is a sandbox-escape stage, not the initial entry). The specific trigger is a crafted PDF file processed through Chrome's WebAuthn input path, so the browser's PDF rendering must handle attacker-controlled content, and CVSS UI:R indicates the victim must open the malicious page/PDF. Affected only on Chrome desktop prior to 151.0.7922.72. Limiting factors: the mandatory prior renderer compromise, the required user interaction, and the fact that SSVC lists Automatable:no and EPSS is 0.16% - meaning this is not a self-propagating or drive-by-standalone condition despite the PR:N in the NVD vector (which does not account for the renderer-compromise prerequisite described by Google).

Impact

The signals here conflict sharply and must be weighed together. NVD's CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H = 9.6 Critical) reads as a near-worst-case network-reachable bug, but the description explicitly states the attacker must have 'compromised the renderer process' first - a substantial prerequisite that the PR:N/AC:L metrics do not capture. Verify with vendor: the CVSS vector implies unauthenticated network attack, but the description implies this is a second-stage sandbox escape usable only after an initial renderer compromise, which is why Chromium itself rated the severity 'Low.' The exploitation-focused signals align with the lower reading: EPSS is 0.16% (6th percentile), SSVC shows Exploitation:none and Automatable:no, and no public exploit is identified. The one signal that stays high is SSVC Technical Impact: total, reflecting that IF chained, a sandbox escape yields full control of the browser process. Net assessment: this is a genuine but chain-dependent bug, not a mass-exploitation priority. It matters most as the second link in an exploit chain, so patch promptly but it does not warrant emergency out-of-band response on the strength of the 9.6 alone.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker first compromises the Chrome renderer through a separate bug (e.g., a prior renderer RCE), then serves or embeds a specially crafted PDF that, when rendered, drives malformed input into the WebAuthn handling to escape the sandbox and execute code in the higher-privileged browser process. Because CVSS marks UI:R, a user must open the page/PDF, and because it requires an already-compromised renderer, this is realistically the second stage of a multi-bug chain rather than a standalone drive-by. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
Patch available 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Jul 30, 2026

Sandbox escape in Google Chrome desktop before 151.0.7922.72 lets an attacker who has already compromised the renderer process abuse insufficient input validation in the WebAuthn implementation, using a crafted PDF file to break out of the renderer sandbox and gain higher-privilege code execution. Google's Chrome team reported the flaw internally and rated it 'Low' severity within Chromium, even though NVD scores it 9.6 (Critical); there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and CISA SSVC lists exploitation status as none. EPSS is very low at 0.16% (6th percentile), consistent with a second-stage bug that requires a pre-existing renderer compromise rather than a directly weaponizable entry point.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: 151.0.7922.72 - upgrade Google Chrome to 151.0.7922.72 or later on all desktop platforms; Chrome normally auto-updates, so verify via chrome://settings/help and relaunch to apply, and confirm managed/enterprise fleets are not pinned to an older pinned build. Reference the vendor advisory at https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2026/07/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_0887107924.html and the Chromium issue https://issues.chromium.org/issues/520018012. If immediate patching is not possible, compensating controls target the delivery and prerequisite steps: disable Chrome's built-in PDF viewer (set 'Download PDFs instead of automatically opening them' / the AlwaysOpenPdfExternally enterprise policy) so crafted PDFs are not rendered in-browser - trade-off is loss of inline PDF viewing convenience; and reduce the risk of the required prior renderer compromise by keeping site isolation enabled and restricting untrusted browsing. Also update any Chromium-derived browsers once their vendors ship the corresponding fix. Do not rely on WebAuthn-usage restrictions as a control, since the exploit is delivered via PDF rather than legitimate WebAuthn flows.

Affected VersionsENISA

Chrome 151.0.7922.72 <151.0.7922.72

Affected Packages

euvd chrome fix: 151.0.7922.72

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The vulnerability lives in Chrome's WebAuthn (Web Authentication API) handling, which brokers requests between web content and platform authenticators for passwordless/2FA credentials. The root cause is classed as CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation): untrusted input flowing from the sandboxed renderer to a more privileged process is not sufficiently validated, and delivery via a crafted PDF (Chrome renders PDFs through its built-in PDFium component inside the renderer) provides the trigger. Because the exploit path crosses the renderer/browser sandbox boundary, a successful attack results in a scope change (CVSS S:C) - code that should be confined to the low-privilege sandbox escapes into a security context it should not reach. The affected CPE is cpe:2.3:a:google:chrome:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, i.e. the Chrome desktop application across platforms prior to the fixed build.

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Severity by source

Sources disagree (Low–Critical)
Vendor (Chrome) PRIMARY 9.6 CRITICAL
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.6 HIGH

Requires an already-compromised renderer (PR:H) and a multi-stage chain plus user-opened PDF (AC:H, UI:R); sandbox escape crosses the trust boundary (S:C) with total technical impact (C/I/A:H).

3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:H/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
SUSE CRITICAL
Red Hat 4.3 LOW

vuln.today treats the vendor’s rating as authoritative. A higher third-party CVSS (e.g. CISA-ADP) is shown for transparency but does not drive the headline severity.

CVSS VectorVendor: Chrome

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

3
Patch available
Jul 30, 2026 - 02:02 EUVD
CVE Published
Jul 30, 2026 - 00:25 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Jul 30, 2026 - 00:25 cve.org
CRITICAL 9.6

DescriptionCVE.org

Insufficient validation of untrusted input in WebAuthn in Google Chrome prior to 151.0.7922.72 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to potentially perform a sandbox escape via a crafted PDF file. (Chromium security severity: Low)

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Google Chrome desktop versions before 151.0.7922.72 contain a critical sandbox escape vulnerability (CVSS 9.6) in the WebAuthn implementation that allows attackers with pre-existing renderer process access to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code at elevated permission levels. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and EPSS is exceptionally low at 0.2%, yet the severity of privilege escalation warrants prioritized patching across enterprise deployments.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Vendor-released patch: Chrome 151.0.7922.72. Organizations unable to patch immediately should enforce mandatory browser sandboxing, disable WebAuthn where not required for operations, and implement network segmentation to constrain lateral movement if a renderer process is compromised.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 94% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Chrome is the dominant desktop browser across virtually all environments
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

48
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +48
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Critical
Product Status
SUSE Package Hub 15 SP7 Fixed
openSUSE Leap 16.0 Fixed
SUSE Package Hub 15 SP7 Affected

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