CVE-2026-57501: Zen Browser Privilege Escalation in Glance and Split-View Context Menus

CVE-2026-57501 · Severity: info · CVSS 0 · Published 2026-07-09

Zen Browser is a web browser based on Firefox. A security flaw in the browser's "glance" and "split-view" features could allow a malicious website to trick the browser into opening local files with elevated system privileges. While this requires the user to manually right-click a link and select a specific menu option, it could allow an attacker to bypass security restrictions that normally prevent websites from accessing files on your computer.

Technologies: Zen Browser. Vendors: Zen Browser.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-57501 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-57501 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-57501?
Informational severity, with a CVSS score of 0, published 9 July 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
Zen Browser < 1.21.5b.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-57501?
A patch was published on 2026-07-02: Fixed in version 1.21.5b Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-57501 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-57501?
Check whether you run Zen Browser at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Technical details

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Zen Browser's 'Open link in glance' and 'Split link in new tab' context-menu actions. These features load page-controlled URLs using the System principal instead of the originating page's principal. This flaw allows a malicious web page to bypass standard content-to-file security checks by linking to a 'file://' URL. If a user interacts with the link via the affected context-menu items, the target loads with System privileges. While testing indicated that 'javascript:' and 'chrome://' targets are not affected, the vulnerability allows for the exposure of local files. The issue is resolved in version 1.21.5b.

Affected products

  • Zen Browser Zen Browser < 1.21.5b

Timeline

  • 2026-07-02: patched: Fixed in version 1.21.5b
  • 2026-07-09: disclosed: Advisory published via GitHub and NVD

References

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