Google has released an emergency security patch for a zero-day vulnerability in its Chrome browser after researchers at Kaspersky uncovered its use in a sophisticated cyberespionage campaign. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-2783, was exploited alongside a second remote code execution (RCE) exploit in attacks targeting organizations in Russia.
Discovery and Exploit Chain
Kaspersky researchers first identified the exploit in mid-March when investigating a series of infections linked to phishing emails. The campaign, dubbed Operation ForumTroll, targeted Russian media outlets, educational institutions, and government agencies. Victims received highly personalized phishing emails containing short-lived malicious links.
Once a target clicked on the link using Chrome, the browser automatically executed the exploit, bypassing Chrome’s sandbox security protections. This allowed attackers to escape the browser’s restricted environment and potentially execute additional malicious code on the system.
Google’s Response
Kaspersky’s security tools detected the exploit in action, leading the team to reverse-engineer the attack. They promptly reported the issue to Google, which coordinated the release of a security patch late Tuesday. The update addresses the vulnerability, effectively neutralizing the attack chain.
While Kaspersky identified the initial sandbox escape exploit, they were unable to capture the second-stage RCE payload. However, patching CVE-2025-2783 significantly disrupts the attackers’ ability to carry out further compromises.
A State-Sponsored Attack?
Kaspersky researchers believe the attack demonstrates a high level of sophistication, suggesting it was likely carried out by a nation-state-backed Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group.
“This particular exploit left us scratching our heads,” Kaspersky stated. “Without doing anything obviously malicious or forbidden, it allowed attackers to bypass Chrome’s sandbox as if it didn’t even exist.”
Researchers attributed the flaw to a logical error in the interaction between Chrome’s sandbox and the Windows operating system, which attackers exploited to escape containment.
What SOC Teams Need to Know
Security Operations Center (SOC) teams should prioritize immediate deployment of Google’s latest Chrome update to mitigate CVE-2025-2783. Since this exploit was part of a targeted cyberespionage campaign, SOC teams should closely monitor traffic for any signs of attempted exploitation, particularly unusual outbound connections from Chrome processes or execution of unexpected system commands following browser activity.
Key actions include:
- Hunting for indicators of compromise (IOCs) by reviewing logs for any signs of execution from suspicious links related to Operation ForumTroll.
- Enhancing phishing defenses by reinforcing email filtering and conducting phishing awareness training.
- Implementing behavior-based detection with endpoint detection and response (EDR) rules to flag unexpected Chrome child processes, which could indicate sandbox escape attempts.
- Ensuring all managed systems are updated to the latest Chrome version as soon as possible.
SOC analysts should also stay vigilant for additional exploits linked to this campaign, as APT actors may shift tactics now that this vulnerability has been patched.
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