CVE-2026-102331 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/29/2026
Buffer overflow in ANGLE in Google Chrome on on Android prior to 154.0.8037.92 allowed a remote attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Critical)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2026
The vulnerability identified within the ANGLE graphics library component of Google Chrome for Android represents a critical buffer overflow condition that undermines the browser's core security architecture. ANGLE serves as an abstraction layer that translates OpenGL ES API calls into native platform graphics APIs, such as Vulkan or Metal, enabling web content to render complex 2D and 3D visuals efficiently. The specific flaw resides in how this library handles memory allocation and data copying operations during the processing of graphical commands derived from HTML pages. When a remote attacker constructs a malicious webpage containing specially crafted JavaScript that triggers these graphics routines with malformed parameters or excessive data sizes, the application fails to perform adequate bounds checking on input buffers. This oversight allows an overflow condition where more data is written into a fixed-size buffer than it can hold, causing adjacent memory regions to be overwritten with arbitrary values determined by the attacker.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns closely with CWE-120, which classifies buffer copy without checking size limits as a fundamental software error leading to undefined behavior and potential code execution. The severity of this vulnerability is compounded by its location within a sandboxed environment. Modern browsers like Chrome employ strict process isolation and sandboxing techniques designed to confine the rendering engine's privileges, ensuring that even if an exploit occurs, it remains contained within a restricted context without gaining access to the host operating system or user data. However, buffer overflows in low-level graphics libraries often provide attackers with opportunities for heap corruption or stack smashing attacks that can be leveraged to bypass these sandbox boundaries through sophisticated exploitation techniques such as arbitrary read/write primitives or control flow hijacking. By manipulating memory layout and exploiting race conditions or type confusion issues inherent in the ANGLE implementation, an attacker may achieve code execution outside the intended security perimeter of the browser process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its remote exploitability via a simple HTML page visit. Users do not need to download files or execute local scripts; merely visiting a maliciously crafted website hosted on a compromised server can trigger the flaw if they are using an affected version of Chrome for Android prior to 154.0.8037.92. Successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise, allowing attackers to install malware, steal sensitive credentials stored in the browser, or use the device as part of a botnet. This aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for client execution, and potentially T1059 if it leads to further script-based actions within the compromised context. The critical severity rating assigned by Chromium security teams reflects the high likelihood of successful exploitation given the complexity of modern browser engines and the prevalence of graphics-intensive web applications that interact heavily with ANGLE.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate software updates, as Google has released patches in version 154.0.8037.92 and later to address these memory safety issues through improved input validation and stricter bounds checking within the ANGLE codebase. Organizations should enforce automated update policies for Android devices managed under their infrastructure to ensure all instances of Chrome are updated promptly. For individual users, enabling automatic updates in the Google Play Store settings is essential. Additionally, deploying browser security extensions that restrict JavaScript execution or block known malicious domains can provide an additional layer of defense against drive-by download attacks. Security teams should also monitor for indicators of compromise related to unusual network traffic from Android devices running older Chrome versions and consider implementing content security policies on internal web applications to reduce the attack surface presented by embedded graphics libraries.