Technical impact
The vulnerability arises from insufficient validation of untrusted input in the Shortcuts feature of Google Chrome on macOS. A malicious shortcut file can cause the browser to ignore its navigation restrictions, allowing an attacker to redirect the user to arbitrary URLs. This abuse can lead to phishing, credential theft, or delivery of malware, compromising the user’s confidentiality and integrity of data. No direct code execution is disclosed, but the ability to bypass navigation controls is significant.
Affected Systems
Google Chrome versions on macOS prior to 149.0.7827.53 are affected. The issue is specific to the Shortcuts component used by the browser on the Mac operating system.
Risk and Exploitability
The CVSS score is 6.5, and the EPSS score of < 1% indicates a low probability of exploitation. The vulnerability requires an attacker to supply a crafted shortcut file, implying that exploitation may require local interaction or phishing. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV, suggesting it has not yet been widely exploited. Nevertheless, the potential to redirect users to malicious sites warrants prompt remediation.
Debian DSA