{"id":1140,"date":"2026-03-03T05:25:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T05:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/?p=1140"},"modified":"2026-03-03T05:25:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T05:25:52","slug":"new-chrome-vulnerability-lets-malicious-extensions-escalate-privileges-via-gemini-panel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/new-chrome-vulnerability-lets-malicious-extensions-escalate-privileges-via-gemini-panel\/","title":{"rendered":"New Chrome Vulnerability Lets Malicious Extensions Escalate Privileges via Gemini Panel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a serious security vulnerability <\/a>in Google Chrome that could allow malicious browser extensions to escalate privileges and access sensitive user data. The flaw, identified as CVE-2026-0628<\/strong>, exposed a weakness in Chrome\u2019s policy enforcement mechanism related to the WebView component and the newly integrated Gemini AI panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a CVSS score of 8.8<\/strong>, the vulnerability was considered high severity and had the potential to give attackers access to local files, the camera, microphone, and other sensitive browser functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google has since patched the issue in Chrome version 143.0.7499.192\/193<\/strong>, released in January 2026 for Windows, Mac, and Linux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Understanding CVE-2026-0628<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The vulnerability stems from insufficient policy enforcement in Chrome\u2019s WebView tag<\/strong>, which allowed attackers to manipulate privileged browser pages using specially crafted browser extensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the official vulnerability description, attackers could exploit the flaw if they successfully convinced a user to install a malicious extension. Once installed, the extension could inject scripts or HTML into privileged Chrome pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This injection allowed attackers to bypass standard browser security boundaries and execute unauthorized actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cybersecurity researcher Gal Weizman from Palo Alto Networks Unit 42<\/strong> discovered and reported the flaw on November 23, 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

How the Gemini Panel Became an Attack Vector<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Google integrated Gemini AI into Chrome in September 2025<\/strong>, introducing a side panel that allows users to interact with the AI assistant directly inside the browser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gemini panel provides several powerful capabilities, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Content summarization<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Website translation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Automated browsing tasks<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Interaction with system resources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    However, these powerful capabilities also introduced new security risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The vulnerability allowed malicious extensions with minimal permissions to take control of the Gemini Live panel<\/strong>. Attackers could then inject JavaScript code into the Gemini interface and execute commands with elevated privileges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This effectively allowed attackers to perform actions that regular browser extensions normally cannot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Potential Impact of the Vulnerability<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

    If exploited successfully, the vulnerability could allow attackers to perform several high-risk actions on a victim\u2019s system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Access to Local Files<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Attackers could gain access to sensitive files stored on the user\u2019s computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Camera and Microphone Activation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Malicious code could activate the device\u2019s camera and microphone without user permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Website Screenshot Capture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Attackers could capture screenshots of any website visited by the user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Arbitrary Code Execution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The injected code could run within the Gemini panel context, giving attackers extended control over browser behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These capabilities essentially break the browser\u2019s standard security model<\/strong>, which normally isolates extensions from privileged browser components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Role of the declarativeNetRequest API<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

    One key element that enabled this attack was the declarativeNetRequest API<\/strong>, a Chrome extension feature designed to intercept and modify web requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This API is commonly used by extensions such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Ad blockers<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Privacy tools<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Content filtering extensions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      However, researchers discovered that attackers could abuse this API to inject malicious JavaScript into the Gemini panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Because the Gemini panel runs in a high-privilege browser environment<\/strong>, the injected code gained access to powerful system capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      AI Integration Is Expanding the Browser Attack Surface<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

      This incident highlights an important security concern surrounding the integration of artificial intelligence directly into browsers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Modern AI-powered browser features require deeper access to browsing environments so they can perform complex tasks such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Multi-step web automation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Content analysis<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Data extraction<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Context-aware assistance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        While these features improve productivity, they also expand the attack surface for cybercriminals<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Researchers warn that AI browser assistants could become targets for attacks involving:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Cross-site scripting (XSS)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Privilege escalation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Side-channel attacks<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Prompt injection via malicious web pages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          If attackers embed hidden instructions or prompts inside malicious web pages, AI assistants may unknowingly execute harmful actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n\n

          Why Browser Extensions Remain a Major Security Risk<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

          Browser extensions remain one of the most common entry points for cyber attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Even legitimate extensions may request excessive permissions that can later be abused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          In this case, the attacker only needed to convince the victim to install a specially crafted extension. Once installed, the extension could inject arbitrary code into the Gemini panel and exploit its privileged environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          This highlights the importance of carefully reviewing extension permissions before installation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n\n

          How Users Can Protect Themselves<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

          Although Google has already patched the vulnerability, users should follow basic security practices to reduce the risk of browser-based attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          1. Update Chrome Immediately<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Ensure Chrome is updated to version 143.0.7499.192 or later<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          2. Install Extensions Carefully<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Only install extensions from trusted developers and avoid unknown or suspicious add-ons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          3. Review Extension Permissions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Check what permissions each extension requests and remove unnecessary ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          4. Remove Unused Extensions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Extensions you no longer use should be removed to reduce potential security risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          5. Use Security Monitoring Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Enterprise environments should monitor browser activity and extension installations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n\n

          Final Thoughts<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

          The discovery of CVE-2026-0628<\/strong> demonstrates how new browser features, particularly AI-powered tools like the Gemini panel, can introduce unexpected security vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          While AI integration improves the browsing experience, it also creates new opportunities for attackers to exploit privileged browser environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          As browsers continue evolving into AI-driven platforms, maintaining strong security controls around extensions, APIs, and privileged components will become increasingly important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Users and organizations alike should remain vigilant and ensure browsers and extensions are always kept up to date.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a serious security vulnerability in Google Chrome that could allow malicious browser extensions to escalate privileges and access sensitive user data. The flaw, identified as CVE-2026-0628, exposed a weakness in Chrome\u2019s policy enforcement mechanism related to the WebView component and the newly integrated Gemini AI panel. With a CVSS score of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1141,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[670,677,678,672,673,674,675,447,669,671,676],"class_list":["post-1140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-ai-browser-security-risks","tag-browser-privilege-escalation","tag-browser-security-threats","tag-chrome-extension-security","tag-chrome-vulnerability","tag-chrome-webview-vulnerability","tag-cve-2026-0628","tag-cybersecurity-news","tag-gemini-panel-vulnerability","tag-google-chrome-security-flaw","tag-malicious-browser-extensions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1140"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1142,"href":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140\/revisions\/1142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/securis360.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}