CVE-2026-106298 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/06/2026
Use after free in Chrome Tabs in Google Chrome on on Mac prior to 155.0.8059.39 allowed a remote attacker 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 • 10/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-6789 represents a critical memory management error within the tab handling subsystem of Google Chrome on macOS, specifically affecting versions prior to 155.0.8059.39. This flaw is classified as an out-of-bounds use or use-after-free condition, which occurs when the browser fails to properly manage the lifecycle of objects associated with web tabs. In modern browsers like Chrome, each tab operates within a sandboxed process environment designed to isolate potentially malicious content from the host operating system and other processes. The integrity of this isolation relies heavily on strict memory safety protocols that prevent access to deallocated or invalid memory regions. When an attacker crafts a specific HTML page containing malicious JavaScript or embedded media elements, they can trigger a sequence of events where references to tab-related objects are retained after those objects have been freed from memory by the garbage collector or explicit cleanup routines.
From a technical perspective, this use-after-free vulnerability allows for arbitrary code execution outside the sandbox because it enables an attacker to manipulate how the browser interprets freed memory blocks. By carefully crafting the payload, the attacker can overwrite adjacent memory structures with controlled data, effectively hijacking control flow within the renderer process or potentially escaping into higher-privilege processes if certain conditions are met. This exploitation path bypasses standard security mitigations such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization because it exploits logical errors in object lifetime management rather than traditional buffer overflow techniques. The severity is rated high by Chromium due to the potential for full system compromise, although successful exploitation typically requires user interaction or a highly targeted attack scenario involving social engineering to load the crafted page.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it facilitates remote code execution with the privileges of the Chrome process. If an attacker successfully exploits this flaw, they can execute arbitrary commands on the victim's machine, install malware, exfiltrate sensitive information such as cookies and session tokens stored in browser memory, or pivot to attack other systems within a network if the compromised host is part of a larger infrastructure. The existence of sandbox escape vectors significantly elevates the risk profile compared to standard cross-site scripting or content injection vulnerabilities, as it undermines the fundamental security model that protects users from untrusted web content. This aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-416, which describes use-after-free errors leading to undefined behavior and potential code execution.
To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations must ensure that all instances of Google Chrome on macOS are updated to version 155.0.8059.39 or later immediately upon availability. Automated patch management systems should be configured to prioritize browser updates given the high severity rating and active exploitation potential associated with memory corruption flaws in web browsers. Additionally, security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to unusual network connections originating from Chrome processes or unexpected spawning of system binaries by renderer processes. While user education regarding suspicious links remains a secondary defense layer, technical controls such as endpoint detection and response solutions that enforce application whitelisting can help contain the impact if an exploitation attempt occurs before patches are applied. This incident underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date software environments to address complex memory safety issues inherent in large-scale web browser architectures.