CVE-2026-11685: Chrome Information Disclosure Vulnerability

CVE-2026-11685 Overview

CVE-2026-11685 is an input validation vulnerability [CWE-20] in the MediaCapture component of Google Chrome on macOS. The flaw affects Chrome versions prior to 149.0.7827.103 and allows a remote attacker to leak cross-origin data through a crafted HTML page. Exploitation requires user interaction, such as visiting a malicious website. Chromium's internal security severity rating for this issue is High, while NVD assigns a medium CVSS score reflecting limited confidentiality impact and the user interaction requirement.

Critical Impact
A remote attacker who convinces a user to load a crafted HTML page can bypass the Same-Origin Policy in Chrome on macOS and read data from other web origins through the MediaCapture API.

Affected Products

Google Chrome on macOS prior to 149.0.7827.103
Apple macOS platform builds of Chromium-based browsers using the affected MediaCapture implementation
Downstream Chromium-derived browsers on macOS that have not integrated the upstream fix

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-09 - CVE-2026-11685 published to NVD
2026-06-09 - Last updated in NVD database
2026-06 - Google releases fixed Chrome Stable channel build for desktop addressing the issue

Technical Details for CVE-2026-11685

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in Chrome's MediaCapture implementation on macOS. MediaCapture exposes browser APIs for accessing audio, video, and screen-sharing streams. The macOS-specific code path fails to enforce origin boundaries correctly when handling media stream metadata or related resources. As a result, a page loaded from one origin can observe data that should remain isolated to another origin.

The issue is classified as Improper Input Validation [CWE-20]. The flaw does not enable code execution or integrity tampering. The attacker gains read access to cross-origin information, which can include data exposed through media-related interfaces that the browser should have sandboxed per the Same-Origin Policy.

Root Cause

The root cause is an inappropriate implementation in the macOS MediaCapture pipeline. The component does not adequately validate or partition data flowing between origins. Chromium issue 517183713 tracks the underlying defect. Because the bug is platform-specific, the same Chrome version on Windows or Linux is not affected.

Attack Vector

Exploitation is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker hosts a crafted HTML page and lures a target running a vulnerable Chrome build on macOS to visit it. The page invokes MediaCapture APIs in a way that triggers the flawed code path and exfiltrates cross-origin data back to attacker-controlled JavaScript. No privileges, credentials, or local access are required on the victim machine.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The EPSS probability is 0.033%, indicating low likelihood of observed exploitation in the near term.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-11685

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome browser process versions on macOS reporting a CFBundleShortVersionString below 149.0.7827.103
Outbound connections from browser sessions to unknown domains immediately following media permission prompts on suspicious pages
Unexpected getUserMedia or getDisplayMedia invocations from third-party iframes embedded in untrusted sites

Detection Strategies

Inventory installed Chrome versions across macOS endpoints and flag any build earlier than 149.0.7827.103 as vulnerable.
Inspect browser telemetry and proxy logs for HTML pages that invoke MediaCapture APIs from low-reputation domains.
Correlate user web browsing with subsequent anomalous data egress from the same browser process.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward macOS application inventory and Chrome version data to a centralized log platform for continuous version drift monitoring.
Enable web proxy or DNS filtering to block access to newly registered or low-reputation domains that may host crafted exploitation pages.
Alert on Chrome auto-update failures on macOS hosts to ensure patched builds reach all users.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-11685

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome on every macOS endpoint to version 149.0.7827.103 or later through the Stable channel.
Verify Chrome auto-update is enabled and not blocked by enterprise configuration or network policy.
Restart Chrome on user systems after the update so the patched binary loads.

Patch Information

Google addressed the issue in the Chrome Stable channel update for desktop documented in the Google Chrome Desktop Update. Technical tracking is available in the Chromium Issue Tracker Report. Administrators should confirm deployed Chrome versions meet or exceed 149.0.7827.103 on all macOS systems.

Workarounds

Restrict camera, microphone, and screen-capture permissions in Chrome site settings until the patched version is deployed.
Use enterprise policy to disable MediaCapture APIs for untrusted sites where business requirements allow.
Educate users to avoid granting media permissions on unfamiliar websites and to dismiss unexpected prompts.

bash

# Verify installed Chrome version on macOS
/Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome --version

# Force Chrome update check via Keystone
/Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate/GoogleSoftwareUpdate.bundle/Contents/Resources/GoogleSoftwareUpdateAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/GoogleSoftwareUpdateAgent -runMode oneshot