CVE-2026-2317 is a vulnerability discovered in the animation implementation of Google Chrome prior to version 145.0.7632.45. The flaw arises from an inappropriate handling of animation-related processes that enables a remote attacker to craft a malicious HTML page capable of leaking cross-origin data. This means that an attacker can bypass the same-origin policy, a fundamental web security mechanism designed to prevent one website from accessing data from another. The vulnerability does not require any privileges or authentication but does require user interaction, such as visiting a malicious webpage. The attack vector is network-based, allowing exploitation remotely. The vulnerability primarily impacts confidentiality by exposing sensitive information from other origins without user consent. The CVSS v3.1 score of 6.5 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) indicates that the attack is relatively easy to perform and results in high confidentiality impact, but does not affect integrity or availability. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery) and CWE-200 (Information Exposure), indicating that it involves improper request handling and unintended data disclosure. No patches or exploit code are currently publicly available, and no known exploits have been observed in the wild as of the publication date. The issue was publicly disclosed on February 11, 2026, and users are advised to update to Chrome 145.0.7632.45 or later to remediate the vulnerability.

The primary impact of CVE-2026-2317 is the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive cross-origin data, which can compromise user privacy and confidentiality. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can potentially access cookies, tokens, or other sensitive information from different web origins, which may lead to further attacks such as session hijacking or identity theft. While the vulnerability does not directly affect data integrity or system availability, the confidentiality breach can have significant consequences for individuals and organizations, especially those handling sensitive or regulated data. Enterprises relying heavily on Google Chrome for web access, including financial institutions, healthcare providers, and government agencies, may face increased risk of data leakage. The requirement for user interaction limits automated exploitation but does not eliminate risk, as social engineering or drive-by attacks can trigger the vulnerability. The absence of known exploits in the wild suggests limited immediate threat, but the vulnerability remains a concern until patched versions are widely deployed.

To mitigate CVE-2026-2317, organizations and users should promptly update Google Chrome to version 145.0.7632.45 or later, where the vulnerability has been addressed. Until updates are applied, users should exercise caution when visiting untrusted or suspicious websites, as exploitation requires user interaction. Network-level protections such as web filtering and intrusion prevention systems can help block access to malicious sites attempting to exploit this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of untrusted scripts and reduce the risk of cross-origin data leakage. Regularly auditing browser extensions and disabling unnecessary ones can minimize attack surface. Security teams should monitor threat intelligence feeds for any emerging exploit attempts and be prepared to respond accordingly. Finally, educating users about the risks of interacting with unknown web content can reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation.