CVE-2026-102304 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/29/2026
Use after free in Passwords in Google Chrome prior to 154.0.8037.92 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-6588 represents a critical memory management flaw within the Passwords component of Google Chrome, specifically affecting versions prior to 154.0.8037.92. This issue is classified as an out-of-bounds write or use-after-free condition that occurs when the browser processes password-related data structures. The root cause lies in improper handling of memory pointers during the lifecycle management of objects associated with stored credentials. When a crafted HTML page triggers specific interactions with the password manager, it can manipulate these internal structures to free memory while references to that memory are still active within other parts of the application logic. This discrepancy allows an attacker to write arbitrary data into freed memory regions, effectively gaining control over program execution flow or corrupting critical system states.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability exploits the complex state management inherent in modern web browsers' handling of sensitive user data. The Passwords component maintains various objects for autofill suggestions, credential storage, and form submission processes. By crafting an HTML page that forces rapid creation and deletion of these password-related objects while simultaneously triggering operations on stale pointers, an attacker can achieve a use-after-free condition. This memory corruption allows the execution of arbitrary code outside the browser's sandbox environment. The sandbox is designed to isolate web content from the underlying operating system, but successful exploitation of this flaw bypasses those restrictions by hijacking control flow through corrupted function pointers or virtual tables located in the freed memory space.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution without user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. An attacker can host a specially crafted HTML page that, when loaded by a victim using an affected version of Chrome, exploits the use-after-free flaw to execute arbitrary commands on the target machine. This could lead to full system compromise, including installation of malware, theft of sensitive data such as banking credentials or personal information stored in the browser, and establishment of persistent backdoors. The high severity rating assigned by Chromium reflects the ease with which this vulnerability can be leveraged for malicious purposes given its remote nature and lack of required user interaction beyond initial page load.
This incident aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-416, Use After Free, which describes situations where a program continues to use a pointer after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior that can be exploited by attackers. Furthermore, the exploitation technique maps to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to memory corruption and sandbox escape, specifically those involving arbitrary code execution through browser vulnerabilities. The attack vector is classified as remote via network (Network), requiring no user privileges other than accessing a malicious webpage, which places it in high-risk categories for automated drive-by download attacks or targeted phishing campaigns leveraging social engineering to direct victims to the exploit site.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate software updates to address the underlying memory management errors within the Passwords component. Users and administrators should upgrade Google Chrome to version 154.0.8037.92 or later, where these issues have been resolved through improved pointer validation and lifecycle management protocols. In environments where patching is not immediately feasible, network-level controls such as web filtering proxies can be configured to block access to known malicious domains hosting exploit code. Additionally, enabling sandbox enforcement features and restricting script execution privileges for untrusted content can reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation by limiting the impact of any memory corruption that does occur. Regular security audits and adherence to secure coding practices in browser development processes are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced into future releases.