CVE-2026-106335 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/07/2026
Use after free in Media in Google Chrome prior to 155.0.8059.39 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside 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 a use-after-free condition within the media subsystem of Google Chrome prior to version 155.0.8059.39 represents a critical memory management flaw that undermines the browser's sandboxing mechanisms. This specific class of error occurs when the application continues to reference a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed and potentially reallocated for other purposes. In the context of web browsers, such flaws are particularly dangerous because they can allow an attacker who controls the content of a webpage to manipulate how the browser handles data in memory, leading to arbitrary code execution within the restricted sandbox environment that is designed to isolate untrusted web content from the host operating system.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability stems from improper handling of object lifecycles within the media processing components of Chromium. When a media element or associated resource is destroyed, the underlying memory should be immediately invalidated and any references cleared. However, due to the flaw in question, certain internal pointers remained valid even after the memory was released back to the heap allocator. This creates a window where an attacker can craft a malicious HTML page that triggers specific sequences of events causing the freed memory to be reallocated with controlled data structures. By carefully controlling this allocation, the attacker can overwrite critical function pointers or object vtables, thereby gaining control over the program flow and executing arbitrary code commands within the context of the browser process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe despite its classification as medium severity by Chromium security standards. While sandboxing provides a robust defense layer, successful exploitation allows an attacker to escape these boundaries under specific conditions or achieve significant privilege escalation if additional vulnerabilities are chained together. A remote attacker can exploit this flaw simply by convincing a user to visit a specially crafted webpage containing malicious JavaScript and media elements designed to trigger the use-after-free condition. This does not require any special privileges on the victim's machine, making it a viable vector for drive-by attacks where users may inadvertently execute code without their knowledge or consent.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-416, which describes Use After Free scenarios resulting from incorrect memory management practices. Furthermore, in terms of tactical mapping within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this exploit technique relates to techniques involving client-side execution and potentially privilege escalation through sandbox escape mechanisms such as T1059 or related sub-techniques depending on the specific exploitation path taken against the browser engine. The ability to execute arbitrary code inside the sandbox indicates a failure in enforcing strict memory safety guarantees that are central to modern web security architectures.
Mitigation for this issue primarily involves updating Google Chrome and its underlying Chromium-based browsers to version 155.0.8059.39 or later, where these memory management issues have been addressed through rigorous code reviews and automated fuzzing tests designed to detect such lifecycle errors. Organizations should ensure that endpoint protection solutions are configured to monitor for unusual process behavior indicative of browser exploitation attempts. Additionally, users can reduce their risk profile by disabling unnecessary plugins or media features if they do not require them, although the most effective defense remains timely patch management and keeping all software components up to date with security fixes provided by vendors.