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ChromeWeb browser · Google

CVE-2019-5768

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.0 Published 2019-02-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 72.0.3626.81 or later.
See remediation →
72/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
DevTools API not correctly gating on extension capability in DevTools in Google Chrome prior to 72.0.3626.81 allowed an attacker who convinced a user to install a malicious extension to read local files via a crafted Chrome Extension.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Chrome DevTools API failed to properly validate extension capabilities before allowing file system access. A malicious extension with user installation could bypass security checks and read local files from the system due to improper gating on extension permissions in the DevTools subsystem.

MitigationUpdate Chrome to version 72.0.3626.81 or later to receive the patch. Additionally, restrict extension installation to trusted sources via Chrome enterprise policies or enterprise mobility management to prevent user-driven installation of malicious extensions.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
ChromeWeb browser
Affected:< 72.0.3626.81
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 9.0
Enterprise Linux DesktopOperating system
Affected:= 6.0
Enterprise Linux ServerOperating system
Affected:= 6.0
Enterprise Linux WorkstationOperating system
Affected:= 6.0
FedoraOperating system
Affected:= 29= 30

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed Chrome version
    Open Chrome, navigate to chrome://version, or run 'google-chrome --version' from command line. Compare the version number to 72.0.3626.81
    Affected if Version is less than 72.0.3626.81
  2. Identify installed extensions with file system access
    Navigate to chrome://extensions, enable 'Developer mode', then review each extension's permissions. Look for extensions with 'Read and change your files on your computer' or 'File system access' permissions
    Affected if Any extension has file system or local file read permissions granted
  3. Verify DevTools API accessibility
    Open Chrome DevTools (F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I). In the console, verify if the 'fs' or fileSystem API is available by typing 'chrome.fileSystem' or checking for FileSystem access through the DevTools protocol
    Affected if The FileSystem API is accessible through DevTools to extensions
  4. Check browser extension policy settings
    On Linux systems, check /etc/chromium/browser.json or /etc/chromium/default for extension installation policies. On enterprise-managed systems, check for ExtensionInstallForcelist or ExtensionInstallSources policies
    Affected if No enterprise restrictions are configured on extension installation
  5. Confirm operating system version
    Run 'cat /etc/os-release' (Debian/Fedora) or 'cat /etc/redhat-release' (RHEL) to identify the installed Linux distribution version
    Affected if Running Debian 9.0, RHEL 6.0, Fedora 29, or Fedora 30 with an unpatched Chrome version

You are affected if Chrome version is below 72.0.3626.81 AND any extension with file system permissions is installed, allowing potential unauthorized local file access through DevTools.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 72.0.3626.81 or later
Fixed in 72.0.3626.81
Interim mitigation

Update Chrome to version 72.0.3626.81 or later to receive the patch. Additionally, restrict extension installation to trusted sources via Chrome enterprise policies or enterprise mobility management to prevent user-driven installation of malicious extensions.

Fix this in Chrome Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,090
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,744.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-5768 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data