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Google Chrome EUVDEUVD-2026-65971

| CVE-2026-78959 MEDIUM
Improper Handling of Case Sensitivity (CWE-178)
2026-08-25 Chrome GHSA-35mw-8r7p-2p48
Medium
Disputed · 6.5 Vendor: Chrome
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Social engineer victim to open crafted HTML page
  2. Delivery
    Page invokes FileSystem API with mixed-case path
  3. Exploit
    Chrome access restriction check fails to normalize case
  4. Execution
    Filesystem resolves path to restricted resource
  5. Persist
    Attacker gains unauthorized read or write access to protected files
  6. Impact
    Integrity bypass achieved

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Case sensitivity handling
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the victim to be running Google Chrome prior to version 152.0.7977.65 on an operating system with a case-insensitive or case-preserving filesystem (most commonly Windows NTFS or macOS HFS+/APFS), as the bypass relies on the mismatch between Chrome's case-sensitive access checks and the underlying filesystem's case-insensitive path resolution. The attacker must successfully socially engineer the victim into visiting a crafted HTML page (UI:R), which is the primary limiting factor against mass or automated exploitation. No authentication or special privileges are required from the attacker (PR:N). The attack is further bounded by the availability of the FileSystem API in the browser context and the specific file or directory targeted needing to have a meaningful access restriction in place.

Impact

The CVSS 6.5 Medium score is internally consistent with its vector: low attack complexity and no required privileges lower the bar for attackers, but mandatory user interaction (UI:R) from social engineering breaks automated exploitation paths. The EPSS of 0.33% at the 26th percentile is aligned with a medium-severity, no-POC vulnerability - suggesting low but non-negligible probability of exploitation in the near term. No CISA KEV listing appears in the provided data, and no public proof-of-concept code is referenced, so exploitation remains unconfirmed rather than confirmed absent. The 'Authentication Bypass' tag aligns with the high integrity impact (I:H), indicating the bypass can yield meaningful unauthorized access. Despite the low EPSS, Chrome's ubiquitous deployment footprint means even a targeted, low-frequency exploit could affect a large absolute number of users. The patch is vendor-confirmed and available, making remediation straightforward and the residual risk low post-patch.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker hosts a crafted HTML page that invokes Chrome's FileSystem API with a path constructed using unexpected case combinations - for example, using uppercase variants of a restricted directory name on a case-insensitive Windows NTFS volume. The attacker sends a phishing link to a target running Chrome below 152.0.7977.65; when the victim opens the page, the browser's access restriction check fails to recognize the mixed-case path as restricted and grants file access. No public proof-of-concept has been identified at time of analysis, but the low attack complexity (AC:L) suggests the bypass is straightforward once the case collision is identified.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 28, 2026

Chrome's FileSystem API prior to version 152.0.7977.65 improperly handles case sensitivity when enforcing access restrictions, enabling a remote attacker to bypass system-level file access controls via a crafted HTML page delivered through social engineering. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N) confirms a network-reachable, unauthenticated path with high integrity impact, though the mandatory user interaction requirement limits mass exploitation. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, and an EPSS of 0.33% at the 26th percentile reflects limited observed exploitation activity.

RemediationAI

Update Google Chrome to version 152.0.7977.65 or later, as documented in the stable channel release advisory at https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2026/08/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_0256176589.html. Chrome's automatic update mechanism typically applies this without user action; verify the installed version at chrome://settings/help and force-check for updates if needed. For managed enterprise environments that cannot immediately deploy the patch, restrict end-user access to untrusted or unsolicited web content via URL filtering or browser isolation, and reinforce phishing awareness training, as exploitation requires social engineering to direct a victim to a crafted page. Enterprise administrators may also evaluate disabling the FileSystem Access API via Chrome's enterprise policy (DefaultFileSystemReadGuardSetting or DefaultFileSystemWriteGuardSetting) as a compensating control, with the trade-off that legitimate web applications using FileSystem API functionality will be broken.

Affected VersionsENISA

Chrome 152.0.7977.65 <152.0.7977.65

Affected Packages

euvd chrome fix: 152.0.7977.65

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

CWE-178 (Improper Handling of Case Sensitivity) describes failures to normalize letter case when comparing strings used in access control decisions. Chrome's FileSystem API, which grants sandboxed web application access to portions of the local filesystem, appears to perform access restriction checks using case-sensitive comparisons. On case-insensitive or case-preserving filesystems common to Windows (NTFS) and macOS (HFS+), a crafted path using mixed or unexpected casing can reference the same underlying resource while evading the browser's access restriction logic. The affected product is universally identified via CPE cpe:2.3:a:google:chrome:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, covering all Chrome stable releases prior to 152.0.7977.65 on all supported platforms.

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Severity by source

Sources disagree (Medium–Critical)
Vendor (Chrome) PRIMARY 6.5 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
vuln.today AI 6.5 MEDIUM

Network delivery via crafted page requires no attacker privileges; mandatory social engineering yields UI:R; filesystem restriction bypass produces integrity impact only with no C or A.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE CRITICAL

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
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

3
CVSS changed
Aug 28, 2026 - 20:22 NVD
6.5 (MEDIUM)
CVE Published
Aug 25, 2026 - 20:10 cve.org
MEDIUM 6.5
CVE Published
Aug 25, 2026 - 20:10 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

Improper handling of case sensitivity in FileSystem in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker leveraging social engineering to bypass system access restrictions via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 74% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Chrome holds dominant global browser market share across consumer and enterprise environments
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium

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 MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
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· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact· derived
High

Priority Score

32
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +32
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

Vendor 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

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