CVE-2026-17975 Overview
CVE-2026-17975 is an information disclosure vulnerability in the Input Method Editor (IME) component of Google Chrome on macOS. The flaw affects Chrome versions prior to 151.0.7922.72. A remote attacker can leverage a crafted HTML page to obtain potentially sensitive information from Chrome process memory. Google classified the Chromium security severity as Low.
The vulnerability requires user interaction, since a victim must load attacker-controlled web content. Successful exploitation exposes fragments of process memory that may contain sensitive data handled by the browser or IME subsystem.
Critical Impact
Remote attackers can read potentially sensitive information from Chrome renderer process memory on macOS by serving a crafted HTML page to a victim.
Affected Products
- Google Chrome for macOS versions prior to 151.0.7922.72
- Chromium-based browsers on macOS that inherit the affected IME implementation
- Downstream Chromium forks that had not merged the upstream fix
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-07-30 - CVE-2026-17975 published to NVD
- 2026-07-30 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-17975
Vulnerability Analysis
The issue resides in the IME implementation used by Google Chrome on macOS. IME components translate keyboard input into characters for languages that require composition, and they exchange buffered state between the renderer, the browser process, and the operating system. An inappropriate implementation in this data-handling path allows a crafted HTML page to influence how the IME subsystem returns memory contents to the renderer.
Because the exposure occurs through process memory that has not been properly initialized or bounded, the attacker receives residual bytes that were never intended to be observable from web content. This class of issue maps to information disclosure through improper implementation logic rather than a classic buffer overread.
Root Cause
The root cause is an implementation defect in the macOS-specific IME code path in Chrome. The component fails to enforce correct boundaries or initialization guarantees before returning data reachable by JavaScript running in a renderer. As a result, memory that should remain internal to the browser process may be surfaced to attacker-controlled script.
Attack Vector
Exploitation is remote and requires the victim to load a malicious HTML page in an unpatched Chrome build on macOS. The attacker page interacts with the IME surface through DOM APIs to trigger the flawed code path. No authentication is required, and no privilege escalation is achieved directly, but leaked memory can include tokens, URLs, or other sensitive artifacts that enable follow-on attacks.
No public proof-of-concept is currently available. Refer to the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry and the Google Chrome Update Announcement for vendor-provided technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-17975
Indicators of Compromise
- Chrome browser processes on macOS reporting versions earlier than 151.0.7922.72 in enterprise inventory feeds.
- Outbound connections from Chrome renderers to unfamiliar domains immediately after users visit unknown HTML content.
- Web pages that programmatically interact with IME composition events without a corresponding text input context.
Detection Strategies
- Inventory installed Chrome versions across macOS endpoints and flag any build older than 151.0.7922.72.
- Correlate browsing telemetry with threat intelligence on known malicious HTML delivery infrastructure.
- Monitor for anomalous data exfiltration patterns from browser processes, such as small repeated POSTs following a page load.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable browser version reporting through Chrome Enterprise policies to centralize patch-state visibility.
- Log DNS and HTTP telemetry from macOS endpoints and retain it long enough to investigate suspected leaks.
- Alert on Chrome renderer child processes generating outbound network traffic to newly registered domains.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-17975
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Google Chrome on all macOS endpoints to version 151.0.7922.72 or later.
- Restart Chrome after installation so the patched binary is loaded by all user sessions.
- Audit managed Chromium-based browsers on macOS and ensure vendors have shipped equivalent fixes.
Patch Information
Google addressed CVE-2026-17975 in the Chrome Stable channel update for desktop at version 151.0.7922.72 for macOS. Deployment details are documented in the Google Chrome Update Announcement. Enterprise administrators should push the update through Chrome Browser Cloud Management, MDM, or existing software distribution tooling.
Workarounds
- Restrict browsing to trusted sites through URL allowlists until patching completes.
- Disable or limit IME extensions on macOS endpoints that do not require multilingual composition input.
- Route Chrome traffic through a web filtering gateway that blocks unknown or newly observed domains.
# Verify installed Chrome version on macOS
/Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome --version
# Force update check via command line
open -a "Google Chrome" --args --check-for-update-interval=1
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
