CVE-2026-0628

Chrome extension policy flaw could hijack the Gemini panel

Google · Chrome / Gemini Live panel

First documented disclosure · Review checkpoint

Summary

Unit 42 showed how a malicious extension could gain the Gemini panel’s privileged browser capabilities. Google had fixed the underlying WebView policy flaw in January.

Severity and exploitation evidence

High · numeric CVSS score not recorded. Severity source.

Exploitation not established: The reviewed sources establish a disclosed weakness or researcher demonstration, not malicious exploitation in the wild.

Technical severity is not a measure of observed attacks or of risk to your deployment. Attempts, demonstrations, and successful compromise retain the qualifications in the source.

How the weakness works

Extension request manipulation could inject code into a privileged AI panel.

Conditions required

A user installs a malicious extension on an affected Chrome build; the demonstrated path uses the Gemini panel.

Potential impact

Potential local-file access, screenshots and camera/microphone access.

Affected versions and configurations

Chrome before 143.0.7499.192.

Fix and mitigation status

143.0.7499.192/.193 on Windows/Mac; 143.0.7499.192 on Linux in the January update.

Practical next steps

Update and restart Chrome; review installed extensions and their permissions.

Operating lesson

An AI sidebar expands the authority that a conventional extension flaw can reach.

Evidence and limits

January 6 is the public security-update date. Unit 42’s detailed Gemini research appeared March 2. A demonstration is not evidence of victims.

Sources