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Google has released an urgent security update for its Chrome browser, addressing a serious vulnerability that could allow attackers to take control of users’ systems simply by visiting a malicious website.
Chrome versions prior to 141.0.7390.107/.108 for Windows and Mac and 141.0.7390.107 for Linux are impacted.
The Hong Kong CERT team stated, “A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to trigger remote code execution on the targeted system.”
Chrome Safe Browsing vulnerability discovered
The vulnerability (CVE-2025-11756) affects Chrome’s Safe Browsing feature, a key layer of defense designed to protect users from phishing sites and malware downloads.
It was discovered by a researcher in September 2025, and reported to Google. At the time of publication, Google has not released detailed technical details of this vulnerability.
Because Safe Browsing runs with elevated privileges, a successful exploit could bypass Chrome’s sandbox protections—potentially granting full access to the underlying operating system.
How the Chrome vulnerability works
The issue stems from a use-after-free memory error, classified under CWE-416, in Chrome’s Safe Browsing process.
This type of bug occurs when the program continues to reference memory that has already been released, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory contents and inject malicious code.
Exploiting the vulnerability could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the victim’s device — potentially installing malware, exfiltrating data, or hijacking browser sessions.
Exploitation requires only that the user visit a compromised or malicious webpage, meaning no further interaction is necessary, similar to other zero-click attacks.
As part of its standard disclosure policy, Google is withholding full technical details of the vulnerability until the majority of users have received the patch. This staged disclosure helps prevent threat actors from developing exploits while the broader user base remains unprotected.
How organizations can reduce risk
While Google’s patch addresses the immediate flaw, organizations should take additional steps to harden their environments and protect against similar attacks in the future, including:
- Prioritize patching: Apply Chrome’s latest update immediately and enforce consistent, organization-wide patch management.
- Control versions and extensions: Standardize Chrome builds and allow only verified, trusted extensions.
- Use network and DNS protections: Block malicious domains with secure web gateways or DNS filtering.
- Harden endpoints: Limit admin rights, isolate risky browsing, and enable exploit mitigation controls.
- Monitor for anomalies: Use tools like endpoint detection and response (EDR) to flag unusual Chrome or network activity.
- Educate users: Train staff on safe browsing and the risks of visiting untrusted sites.
Taken together, these measures create a layered defense that minimizes the impact of browser vulnerabilities and strengthens overall cyber resilience.
Expanding attack surfaces in modern browsers
This vulnerability highlights the growing complexity of browser security and the persistent challenge of defending against memory-related flaws.
Even with Chrome’s robust sandboxing and isolation, subtle coding errors can still become powerful attack vectors — proving that no component, not even Safe Browsing, is beyond exploitation.
As browsers evolve into full-fledged application platforms supporting extensions, web APIs, and cloud integrations, their attack surface continues to expand.
This complexity makes traditional testing and sandboxing less effective on their own, underscoring the need for continuous memory safety improvements, DevSecOps practices, and proactive vulnerability research.
As threats increasingly exploit trusted applications and components, adopting a zero-trust security model becomes essential to ensuring that no user, device, or process is automatically trusted by default.
