Google Chrome Zero-Day Vulnerability Actively Exploited in The Wild

Google has issued critical security updates for its Chrome browser and ChromeOS platforms following the discovery of an actively exploited zero-day vulnerability in the desktop version of its flagship browser.

The updates come alongside patches for additional security flaws affecting ChromeOS devices, underscoring the ongoing cybersecurity challenges facing modern web infrastructure.

This coordinated release impacts millions of users across desktop and ChromeOS environments, with particular urgency surrounding the Windows-specific vulnerability that threat actors are already weaponizing in real-world attacks.

Critical Zero-Day Vulnerability in Chrome Desktop

Technical Analysis of CVE-2025-2783

The most severe vulnerability addressed in this update cycle, cataloged as CVE-2025-2783, represents a high-severity flaw in Chrome's Mojo interprocess communication (IPC) framework specifically affecting Windows implementations.

Rated as High severity with a CVSS score likely exceeding 8.0 based on comparable historical vulnerabilities, this improper handle management issue enables attackers to execute arbitrary code through crafted web content.

Mojo serves as Chrome's foundational IPC system, mediating communication between browser processes and sandboxed components.

The vulnerability arises from incorrect handle provisioning during cross-process resource sharing, potentially allowing malicious actors to bypass security boundaries and inject code into privileged processes.

Security researchers Boris Larin (@oct0xor) and Igor Kuznetsov (@2igosha) from Kaspersky's Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) identified and reported the flaw on March 20, 2025, triggering Google's emergency response mechanism.

"Google is aware of reports that an exploit for CVE-2025-2783 exists in the wild." Chrome stated.

Further details of the exploitation have emerged from Kaspersky, who detected a wave of infections in mid-March stemming from a sophisticated APT campaign dubbed "Operation ForumTroll."

This campaign utilized personalized phishing emails containing malicious links that, when opened in Chrome, immediately triggered a zero-day exploit to escape the browser's sandbox.

The attackers, believed to be state-sponsored, targeted media outlets, educational institutions, and government organizations in Russia with the goal of espionage.

While the exploit currently redirects to the official "Primakov Readings" website, Kaspersky warns against clicking any potentially malicious links and advises users to remain vigilant against similar phishing attempts.

Active Exploitation and Threat Landscape

Google's security team confirmed active exploitation of CVE-2025-2783 in targeted attacks prior to patch deployment, though technical specifics remain under embargo to prevent widespread weaponization.

Historical patterns suggest such vulnerabilities often feature in exploit chains combining multiple flaws for full system compromise.

The Windows-specific nature of this vulnerability aligns with recent trends in cybercriminal focus on Microsoft's operating system, which maintains dominant market share in enterprise environments.

This marks the fourth Chrome zero-day vulnerability exploited in the wild during 2025, continuing a concerning pattern of increasing browser-based attacks.

Enterprise security teams should prioritize patch deployment given the likelihood of advanced persistent threat (APT) groups incorporating this exploit into their arsenals for both cyberespionage and ransomware operations.

Google's phased rollout strategy for ChromeOS updates prioritizes LTC (Long-term Testing Candidate) channel devices first, with the Long-term Support (LTS) channel remaining on version 126 until April 8, 2025.

This bifurcated approach balances enterprise stability requirements with urgent security needs, though organizations must weigh the risks of delayed patching against potential compatibility issues.

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