Description

Incorrect authorization in TabStrip in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.75 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process and leveraged social engineering 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": "2026-09-02T00:18:28.443Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-09-02T00:18:28.443Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A security vulnerability categorized as incorrect authorization exists within the TabStrip component of Google Chrome prior to version 152.0.7977.75.\nThe flaw enables a remote attacker who has already compromised the renderer process to achieve arbitrary code execution beyond the sandbox constraints.\nSuccessful exploitation requires the attacker to leverage social engineering techniques to trick a user into interacting with a specifically crafted HTML page.\nThis vulnerability is rated as Medium severity due to the necessity of a pre-existing renderer compromise and user interaction.\nThe risk implication involves a bypass of the browser sandbox, which serves as a critical security boundary intended to contain malicious code, potentially allowing the attacker to interact with the underlying operating system or other system resources.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability resides in the TabStrip component within Chromium, which manages the visual representation and state of browser tabs. The root cause is an improper authorization check that fails to adequately enforce security boundaries when the TabStrip component processes requests initiated from a compromised renderer process.\nIn a secure browser architecture, the renderer process is sandboxed to prevent malicious scripts from accessing sensitive system APIs or files. When an attacker gains control of the renderer, they are typically confined to the scope of that sandbox. This vulnerability functions as a sandbox escape primitive.\nThe attack flow begins when an attacker compromises the renderer process through a separate exploit, such as a memory corruption vulnerability in the JavaScript engine. Once the renderer is compromised, the attacker must employ social engineering—such as phishing or deceptive UI prompts—to entice a user to navigate to a malicious URL or interact with a crafted HTML page designed to trigger the TabStrip logic.\nUpon visiting the crafted page, the attacker sends specially formatted messages or commands to the TabStrip component via the Inter-Process Communication (IPC) mechanism. Because of the authorization flaw, the TabStrip component incorrectly validates the origin or permissions associated with these requests. This allows the attacker to influence the internal state of the browser's management logic.\nBy manipulating the TabStrip’s internal state, the attacker can force the browser to perform operations that should only be authorized by the browser process or a more privileged component. This elevation of privilege allows for the execution of arbitrary code outside the renderer's sandbox constraints. Once the sandbox is escaped, the attacker can execute code with the permissions of the browser application on the host operating system, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, persistence, or further system compromise.\nThe vulnerability affects Google Chrome versions prior to 152.0.7977.75. Exploitation does not require authentication to the target system itself, but it does rely on the successful prior compromise of the browser’s renderer process and the execution of a social engineering campaign to reach the vulnerable code path."
}