CVE-2026-106238 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/06/2026
Race condition in Fonts in Google Chrome prior to 155.0.8059.39 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: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-10678 represents a critical race condition within the font handling subsystem of Google Chrome, specifically affecting versions prior to 155.0.8059.39. This flaw resides in the core rendering engine responsible for processing and managing typeface resources during web page layout operations. The technical nature of this defect involves a timing discrepancy where multiple threads or execution contexts interact with shared font data structures without adequate synchronization mechanisms. When an attacker crafts a malicious HTML page that triggers concurrent access to these font resources, it creates a window of opportunity where the state of the memory associated with the font object can be manipulated before validation checks are completed. This classic race condition allows for heap corruption or use-after-free scenarios, which serve as the foundational primitive for further exploitation within the browser environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its potential to bypass Chrome's robust sandboxing architecture. Typically, renderer processes operate in a restricted security context designed to prevent arbitrary code execution on the host system. However, because an attacker who has already compromised the renderer process can leverage this race condition to escalate privileges within that same process and potentially break out into higher-privilege contexts, the isolation guarantees are effectively nullified. The Chromium project classified this issue with a medium security severity, reflecting its complexity in exploitation but acknowledging the high value of achieving arbitrary code execution outside the sandbox boundary. Successful exploitation requires a victim to visit a specially crafted webpage that triggers the specific font rendering path vulnerable to the race condition, making it a remote attack vector dependent on user interaction or automated drive-by techniques if other vectors are present.
From an industry standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-362, which defines concurrent execution using shared resources with improper synchronization as a Race Condition. The exploitation technique leverages memory corruption primitives often associated with CWE-416, Use After Free, or CWE-401, Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime, depending on the specific internal state manipulation achieved through the race window. In terms of tactical classification under the MITRE ATT&CK framework for Enterprise and Mobile, this vulnerability facilitates Initial Access via a Drive-by Compromise if combined with social engineering, but more critically it enables Privilege Escalation within the containerized environment by breaking out of the renderer sandbox. It also falls under Defense Evasion techniques where attackers exploit software vulnerabilities to bypass security restrictions imposed on processes.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate patching of Google Chrome and its underlying Chromium-based browsers to version 155.0.8059.39 or later, which includes the necessary synchronization fixes in the font handling code path. Organizations should enforce automated update policies to ensure all endpoints are running patched versions promptly after release. For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, network-level controls such as web filtering proxies can be configured to block access to known malicious domains hosting exploit kits or crafted HTML pages designed to trigger this specific race condition. Additionally, enabling Chrome’s site isolation features and ensuring that sandbox policies remain strictly enforced can help limit the blast radius if a renderer process is compromised, although they do not directly prevent exploitation of this specific internal logic flaw. Security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to unusual memory allocation patterns or crashes in font-related modules within browser logs as an early warning system for potential exploitation attempts targeting unpatched systems.