CVE-2025-5281 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the Back-Forward Cache (BFCache) implementation of Google Chrome versions prior to 137.0.7151.55. The BFCache is a browser optimization feature that allows instant navigation back and forth between pages by caching the entire page state. The vulnerability arises from an inappropriate implementation in this caching mechanism, which can be exploited by a remote attacker through a crafted HTML page. Specifically, the flaw allows the attacker to potentially obtain user information, indicating an information disclosure issue classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.4, reflecting a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N) indicates that the attack can be performed remotely over the network with low attack complexity, no privileges required, but requires user interaction (such as visiting a malicious page). The impact affects confidentiality and integrity to a limited extent but does not affect availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches or mitigation links are provided yet, suggesting that the vulnerability is newly disclosed. The vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass expected browser security boundaries and access sensitive user data cached in BFCache, potentially including session information or other private content stored in the page state.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to users of Google Chrome who may be targeted by phishing or malicious websites designed to exploit the BFCache flaw. The potential information disclosure could lead to leakage of sensitive user data, including session tokens or personal information, which could facilitate further attacks such as account takeover or targeted social engineering. Organizations in sectors with high privacy requirements, such as finance, healthcare, and government, could face increased risks if attackers leverage this vulnerability to harvest confidential information. Additionally, since Chrome is widely used across Europe in both corporate and consumer environments, the attack surface is significant. The requirement for user interaction means that social engineering remains a key vector, emphasizing the importance of user awareness. Although the vulnerability does not directly impact system availability or integrity at a large scale, the confidentiality breach could undermine trust and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR, potentially leading to legal and reputational consequences.

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should prioritize updating Google Chrome to version 137.0.7151.55 or later as soon as the patch becomes available. Until then, organizations can implement network-level protections such as web filtering to block access to known malicious or suspicious websites that could host crafted HTML pages exploiting this flaw. Deploying endpoint security solutions capable of detecting and blocking phishing attempts can reduce the likelihood of successful user interaction with malicious content. Additionally, organizations should conduct targeted user awareness training focusing on the risks of interacting with untrusted web content and recognizing phishing attempts. From a technical perspective, disabling or restricting BFCache usage via enterprise policies or browser configuration may be considered as a temporary workaround, although this could impact user experience. Monitoring browser telemetry and logs for unusual behavior related to navigation caching could help identify potential exploitation attempts. Finally, maintaining a robust incident response plan that includes browser vulnerability scenarios will enhance preparedness.