CVE-2026-103624 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/02/2026
Use after free in Contextual Tasks in Google Chrome on on Windows prior to 154.0.8037.97 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to potentially execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/02/2026
The vulnerability described involves a use-after-free error within the Contextual Tasks feature of Google Chrome on Windows, specifically in versions prior to 154.0.8037.97. This type of memory corruption flaw occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed and potentially reallocated for another purpose. In the context of Chromium-based browsers, such errors are particularly dangerous because they can lead to arbitrary code execution if an attacker can control the data written into the reused memory location. The severity is classified as High by the Chromium security team, indicating that successful exploitation could result in significant compromise of the user's system integrity and confidentiality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability centers on its potential for remote code execution through a crafted HTML page. Although Chrome employs a sandboxing architecture designed to isolate renderer processes from the rest of the operating system, this flaw allows an attacker who has already compromised the renderer process to escape that isolation. By exploiting the use-after-free condition in Contextual Tasks, an attacker can manipulate memory structures to execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox boundaries. This effectively bypasses one of the primary defense mechanisms against web-based attacks, allowing malicious scripts or payloads to interact with system-level resources and potentially install malware, steal sensitive data, or take control of the victim's machine.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-416, which defines use-after-free as a class of software vulnerabilities resulting from improper memory management. The exploitation vector typically involves crafting specific HTML content that triggers the premature deallocation of an object while retaining references to it elsewhere in the application logic. When these dangling pointers are subsequently dereferenced or modified, they can lead to heap corruption and control flow hijacking. This scenario is consistent with ATT&CK technique T1059, Command and Scripting Interpreter, as well as T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution, where the browser serves as the initial attack vector leading to further system compromise.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating Google Chrome to version 154.0.8037.97 or later, which includes patches addressing this memory management issue. Organizations should ensure that automatic updates are enabled to maintain protection against such vulnerabilities promptly. Additionally, users can reduce risk by disabling JavaScript in untrusted sites or using browser extensions that restrict execution of potentially malicious scripts. Security teams should also monitor for indicators of compromise related to renderer process exploitation and enforce strict content security policies where applicable to limit the impact of any future exploits targeting similar memory corruption flaws.