CVE-2024-26196 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in Microsoft Edge for Android, specifically version 1.0.0. The issue is classified under CWE-259, which denotes the use of hard-coded passwords within the software. This vulnerability allows an attacker to potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information due to the presence of a hard-coded password embedded in the application code. The vulnerability is an information disclosure type, meaning it could expose confidential data without necessarily impacting the integrity or availability of the system. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.3, reflecting a medium severity level. The vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N/E:U/RL:O/RC:C) indicates that the attack can be performed remotely over the network without privileges and with low attack complexity. However, user interaction is required, and the impact is limited to confidentiality with no effect on integrity or availability. The vulnerability is publicly disclosed but currently has no known exploits in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The presence of a hard-coded password in a widely used browser on Android devices could allow attackers to extract sensitive information or bypass certain security controls, particularly if the password grants access to privileged functions or stored data within the browser context.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to employees and users who utilize Microsoft Edge on Android devices. Since browsers are a primary interface for accessing corporate resources, any information disclosure could lead to leakage of sensitive corporate data, session tokens, or credentials stored or cached by the browser. This could facilitate further attacks such as phishing, session hijacking, or lateral movement within corporate networks. The impact is heightened in sectors with strict data protection requirements like finance, healthcare, and government institutions. Additionally, the requirement for user interaction means that social engineering or phishing campaigns could be used to exploit this vulnerability. The medium severity rating suggests that while the vulnerability is not critical, it still represents a tangible risk that could undermine confidentiality and trust in corporate mobile device usage policies.

European organizations should prioritize updating Microsoft Edge for Android to the latest version once a patch is released by Microsoft. Until then, organizations should implement mobile device management (MDM) policies to restrict the use of vulnerable browser versions on corporate devices. User education is critical to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that might trigger exploitation. Network-level protections such as web filtering and anomaly detection can help identify suspicious activities related to this vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should audit and limit the storage of sensitive information within browsers and encourage the use of secure password managers instead of relying on browser-stored credentials. Monitoring for unusual data access patterns on Android devices can also help detect potential exploitation attempts early.