Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessAttacker crafts malicious Chrome extension
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DeliveryDistribute via phishing or social media
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ExploitVictim installs extension (social engineering)
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ExecutionExtension invokes BrowserTag without authorization check
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PersistSensitive browser state returned to extension
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ImpactAttacker exfiltrates data
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Authorization checks on every request
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires that the victim be running Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 AND be socially engineered into installing a crafted Chrome extension - this is the non-negotiable prerequisite encoded in the UI:R CVSS metric. The attack is network-delivered (AV:N) and requires no prior authentication to Chrome or the target system (PR:N), but the social engineering step is a concrete limiting factor: the extension must be installed with user consent or via a compromised extension distribution channel. Exploitation is further limited because the impact is confidentiality-only (no code execution, no integrity impact) and is not automatable per SSVC assessment. Defenders on managed devices who enforce extension allowlisting policies are not realistically exposed. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5 (Medium) reflects a network-reachable, low-complexity attack with no privilege requirement but mandatory user interaction (UI:R) and confidentiality-only impact (C:H/I:N/A:N). Real-world risk is substantially lower than the base score implies. EPSS at 0.23% places this in the 13th percentile - well below exploitation thresholds typically associated with commodity attacks. SSVC signals reinforce this: exploitation is 'none,' the attack is not automatable, and technical impact is only 'partial.' The social engineering dependency (convincing a user to install a crafted extension) introduces a meaningful friction barrier. Chromium itself rates severity as 'Low.' No KEV listing and no public POC have been identified. The primary gap between raw CVSS and real-world risk is the non-trivial social engineering step required; this is not a drive-by or unauthenticated remote exploit. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker crafts a malicious Chrome extension and distributes it via a phishing page, fake software bundle, or social media, persuading a target to install it manually. Once installed, the extension exploits the missing BrowserTag authorization check to query sensitive browser state - such as tab metadata, browsing context identifiers, or cross-origin signals - that it would not normally be permitted to access. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, making mass exploitation unlikely in the near term. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 26, 2026
Missing authorization in the BrowserTag component of Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 enables remote attackers to extract sensitive information by distributing a crafted Chrome extension via social engineering. The flaw bypasses authorization checks within BrowserTag, allowing the malicious extension to access data it should not be permitted to read. No active exploitation has been identified (CISA KEV absent), EPSS sits at 0.23% (13th percentile), and Chromium's own severity classification is 'Low' - all consistent with the UI:R prerequisite of tricking a user into installing a hostile extension.
RemediationAI
Update Google Chrome to version 152.0.7977.65 or later, available via Chrome's built-in auto-update mechanism or the vendor advisory at https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2026/08/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_0256176589.html. Organizations managing Chrome via policy (Google Admin Console, Intune, or similar) should push the update and verify version compliance. As a compensating control prior to patching, enforce enterprise extension allowlisting (ExtensionInstallAllowlist policy) to prevent installation of unapproved extensions - this directly eliminates the social engineering vector since the crafted extension cannot be installed without policy approval. Note that extension allowlisting may disrupt workflows for users who install personal extensions; evaluate against operational requirements before deployment.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
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
BrowserTag is an internal Chrome browser component involved in extension or tab-tagging logic. The root cause is CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) - the component fails to enforce access controls before exposing sensitive data to a requesting extension context. The affected product is identified by CPE cpe:2.3:a:google:chrome:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* covering all Chrome desktop builds prior to version 152.0.7977.65. Because Chrome extensions operate in a privileged but sandboxed context, an extension that bypasses BrowserTag authorization can read browser state (e.g., browsing context metadata, tab information, or cross-origin signals) without the corresponding manifest permission grant.
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Severity by source
Sources disagree (Medium–Critical)AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Network-delivered via extension install (AV:N/PR:N), requires active user consent (UI:R), confidentiality-only impact with no integrity or availability effect.
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
Missing authorization in BrowserTag in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker leveraging social engineering to obtain sensitive information via a crafted Chrome extension. (Chromium security severity: Low)
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 weakness CWE-862 – Missing Authorization
View allSame 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-2026-66033
GHSA-46ww-4fff-23g3
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB