Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessCraft malicious file
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DeliveryDeliver file to victim via remote channel
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ExploitVictim opens file in vulnerable Chrome
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ExecutionPasswords subsystem performs incorrect reference resolution
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PersistAttacker bypasses system access restrictions
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ImpactUnauthorized integrity modification achieved
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Incorrectly specified target
|
| Exploitation Conditions | User interaction is required - the victim must open or process a crafted file within the Chrome browser (UI:R per CVSS vector). The vulnerability is located specifically in Chrome's Passwords feature, so that subsystem must be active (it is enabled by default in standard Chrome installations). No authentication or existing session privileges are required from the attacker (PR:N). Exploitation is limited to integrity impact only; there is no confidentiality or availability impact per CVSS. Limiting factors include the mandatory user interaction step (the victim must open the crafted file), the low integrity ceiling, and the lack of scope change (S:U, meaning compromise does not propagate to other system components). Non-default configurations or specific platform deployments are not identified as prerequisites beyond a standard Chrome desktop install prior to 152.0.7977.65. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.3 (Medium) reflects a network-reachable vector (AV:N), low complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but mandatory user interaction (UI:R) and limited scope (S:U) with integrity-only impact (I:L). These metrics are internally consistent with a social-engineering or drive-by file delivery scenario. EPSS at 0.36% (29th percentile) is low, indicating the broader security community does not currently assess this as likely to be exploited at scale in the near term. There is no CISA KEV entry and no public exploit code identified at time of analysis. The 'Authentication Bypass' tag aligns with the access-restriction bypass described, but the practical impact ceiling - limited to low integrity effects on an unscoped system - constrains the blast radius significantly. This is not a low-real-risk issue masquerading as high-CVSS; the moderate CVSS score accurately reflects a meaningful but bounded vulnerability that is not an immediate priority for most organizations, provided patching is addressed in the normal patch cycle. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker crafts a malicious file and delivers it to a target via email, download link, or other remote channel. When the victim opens the file in a vulnerable version of Chrome, the Passwords subsystem incorrectly resolves an internal reference, allowing the attacker to bypass system access restrictions and write or modify data they should not be permitted to access. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 28, 2026
Incorrect reference resolution in Google Chrome's Passwords feature (versions prior to 152.0.7977.65) allows a remote attacker to bypass system access restrictions by delivering a crafted file that a user must open. The integrity impact is limited (CVSS I:L), and no confidentiality or availability loss is indicated. With EPSS at 0.36% (29th percentile), no KEV listing, and no public exploit identified at time of analysis, real-world exploitation risk is currently low despite the network-accessible attack vector.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: Chrome 152.0.7977.65. Organizations and end users should update to this version or later immediately via Chrome's built-in update mechanism (Settings > Help > About Google Chrome) or through enterprise deployment tools such as Google Admin Console or third-party patch management platforms. The advisory is available at https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2026/08/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_0256176589.html. No specific workaround is documented for this flaw; if immediate patching is not possible, restricting users from opening untrusted files through Chrome (e.g., via file-type blocking at the email gateway or web proxy) would reduce exposure, with the trade-off of limiting legitimate file-handling workflows. Disabling the Chrome Password Manager via policy is not a confirmed mitigating control but would reduce attack surface in the Passwords subsystem if operationally acceptable.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
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Technical ContextAI · show details
CWE-706 (Use of Incorrectly-Resolved Name or Reference) describes flaws where software resolves a name or reference to a resource in a context that can be influenced by an attacker, causing the software to operate on the wrong resource. Here, Chrome's built-in Passwords subsystem - responsible for credential storage and autofill - incorrectly resolves a reference when processing a crafted file, potentially allowing that file to be treated as having different access permissions than it actually holds. The affected product is identified by CPE cpe:2.3:a:google:chrome:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, covering all desktop Chrome builds prior to 152.0.7977.65. The Chromium issue tracker reference (issues.chromium.org/issues/513786555) may contain additional technical detail, though it is likely access-restricted pending broader patch adoption.
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Severity by source
Sources disagree (Medium–Critical)AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Remote file delivery requires user interaction; no attacker privileges needed; impact is integrity-only bypass with no confidentiality or availability loss.
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
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
Incorrect reference resolution in Passwords in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker to bypass system access restrictions via a crafted file. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
Same technique Authentication Bypass
View allVendor StatusVendor
SUSE
Severity: Critical| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| SUSE Package Hub 15 SP7 | Fixed |
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 | Fixed |
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | Fixed |
| SUSE Package Hub 15 SP7 | Affected |
EUVD-2026-65909
GHSA-5qm9-qwmm-j77v
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Exploit-DB