CVE-2025-12431
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass Chrome's navigation restrictions by tricking users into installing a malicious extension. It affects all users running vulnerable versions of Google Chrome who install untrusted extensions. The attacker can potentially redirect users to malicious websites despite Chrome's security controls.
💻 Affected Systems
- Google Chrome
- Chromium-based browsers
📦 What is this software?
Chrome by Google
Google Chrome is the world's most popular web browser, used by over 3 billion users globally across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS platforms. As a Chromium-based browser developed by Google, Chrome dominates the browser market with approximately 65% market share, making it a critical compon...
Learn more about Chrome →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could redirect users to phishing sites, malware distribution points, or credential harvesting pages even when Chrome's security features should prevent such navigation.
Likely Case
Users who install malicious extensions from untrusted sources could be redirected to scam or phishing websites, potentially leading to credential theft or malware infection.
If Mitigated
With proper extension vetting and user education about only installing trusted extensions, the risk is significantly reduced as the attack requires user interaction.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires convincing users to install a malicious extension, which adds a social engineering component. No public exploit code has been identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 142.0.7444.59 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2025/10/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_28.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Chrome. 2. Click the three-dot menu. 3. Go to Help > About Google Chrome. 4. Chrome will automatically check for and install updates. 5. Click 'Relaunch' to restart Chrome with the updated version.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Extension Installation
allPrevent users from installing extensions entirely
For enterprise: Use Group Policy to disable extension installation
For individuals: Set Chrome flags to block extensions
Restrict Extension Sources
allOnly allow extensions from Chrome Web Store
chrome://flags/#extension-mv2-deprecation
Set to 'Enabled' to block non-store extensions
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application allowlisting to block Chrome execution
- Deploy network filtering to block malicious domains and monitor for suspicious redirects
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version: If version is below 142.0.7444.59, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
chrome://version/ or 'google-chrome --version' on Linux/macOSVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Chrome version is 142.0.7444.59 or higher after update.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual extension installation events
- Multiple navigation attempts to blocked domains
- Extension permission changes
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected redirects to known malicious domains
- Traffic to domains blocked by Chrome's Safe Browsing
SIEM Query:
source="chrome" AND (event="extension_install" OR event="navigation_blocked") AND status="bypassed"