Description

Improper input validation in Printing in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to potentially execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "8.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-25T21:18:06.213Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-25T21:18:06.213Z",
  "executiveSummary": "This vulnerability involves an improper input validation flaw within the Printing component of Google Chrome, affecting versions prior to 152.0.7977.65.\nThe vulnerability allows a remote attacker who has already successfully compromised the browser's renderer process to break out of the established sandbox environment.\nBy leveraging a specially crafted HTML page, the attacker can execute arbitrary code on the underlying host system, bypassing the security boundaries designed to isolate web content.\nThe exploit requires the attacker to first gain control over the renderer process, typically through a secondary exploit such as a remote code execution (RCE) or memory corruption vulnerability within the browser's content processing engine.\nGiven the severity and the ability to escape the sandbox, this flaw poses a critical risk to user data confidentiality, integrity, and system availability.\nThe Chromium project classifies this as a Medium severity issue, reflecting the prerequisite of achieving renderer-level code execution before the sandbox escape can be attempted.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability originates from inadequate validation of input data processed by the Printing subsystem in Google Chrome. Within the Chromium architecture, the renderer process is strictly sandboxed to restrict access to system resources and sensitive APIs. When a user initiates a print command, the renderer process communicates with the browser process—or a dedicated utility process—to format and spool the print job.\nThe root cause of this vulnerability lies in the sanitization logic applied to input data passed during this inter-process communication (IPC) flow. If the Printing component fails to properly validate the structure, size, or content of the data received from the untrusted renderer process, it may lead to memory corruption or logic errors within the more privileged context.\nAn attacker exploits this by first compromising the renderer process, effectively gaining the ability to control the inputs sent to the privileged printing service. Through a crafted HTML page, the attacker triggers a print operation containing malicious payloads designed to exploit the lack of validation. By sending malformed data structures that the printing component expects to be well-formed, the attacker can trigger an out-of-bounds write, heap overflow, or a similar memory corruption state.\nUpon successful exploitation, the attacker achieves arbitrary code execution outside of the sandbox. Because the printing process often possesses higher privileges than the renderer process—sometimes interacting directly with system-level printer drivers or spooling services—the attacker can leverage this position to execute commands with elevated permissions on the host operating system.\nThe attack flow follows a sequential path: 1) The attacker lures a victim to a malicious website; 2) A secondary vulnerability is exploited to achieve code execution in the renderer process; 3) The attacker initiates a print request; 4) The malicious payload is passed to the printing component via IPC; 5) The printing component processes the invalid input, leading to a memory safety violation; 6) The attacker achieves arbitrary code execution, escaping the sandbox and gaining persistence or lateral movement capabilities on the host system.\nThis vulnerability affects Google Chrome versions prior to 152.0.7977.65. The lack of strict input sanitization on the boundaries between the sandboxed renderer and the privileged printing service represents a critical design weakness in the interaction between these components."
}