CVE-2026-106411 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/07/2026
Use after free in Parser 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: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free condition within the Chromium parser component represents a critical memory management flaw that was addressed in Google Chrome version 155.0.8059.39 and later releases. This specific class of bugs occurs when an application continues to reference a block of memory after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior that can be exploited by malicious actors. In the context of web browsers, such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they reside within components responsible for parsing HTML content received from remote sources. The Chromium security team classified this issue with high severity due to its potential impact on system integrity and user safety.
The technical root cause lies in the lifecycle management of objects during the document object model construction process. When a browser parses an HTML page, it creates various internal structures to represent elements, styles, and scripts. If these structures are deallocated prematurely while still being referenced by other active parts of the parser or rendering engine, subsequent access attempts will interact with invalid memory addresses. An attacker can craft a malicious HTML page that triggers this specific sequence of events through carefully timed DOM manipulations or script execution. By controlling the content and structure of the injected payload, the attacker ensures that freed memory is reused in a way that allows for arbitrary code execution within the browser's sandboxed environment.
The operational impact of exploiting this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption. Because modern browsers employ strict sandboxes to isolate web pages from the underlying operating system, successful exploitation requires bypassing these security boundaries. However, use-after-free vulnerabilities often provide primitives that allow attackers to manipulate memory layouts and control execution flow. This can lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the browser process. If an attacker successfully exploits this flaw, they could potentially install malware, steal sensitive information such as cookies or session tokens, or perform actions on behalf of the user without their consent. The ability to execute code inside the sandbox significantly increases the risk profile compared to out-of-bounds read errors which typically only allow for data leakage.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, Use After Free, which describes situations where pointers are used after they have been freed or deallocated. This often leads to crashes, corruption of unrelated data structures, and potentially arbitrary code execution depending on how the memory is reused. In terms of attack tactics, this exploitation path corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage vulnerabilities in client software to gain initial access or execute malicious payloads. The reliance on a crafted HTML page indicates that the primary vector involves social engineering or drive-by download scenarios where users are tricked into visiting malicious websites or clicking links containing exploit code.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve ensuring that all clients update to Google Chrome version 155.0.8059.39 or newer, as this release contains patches for the underlying memory management issues in the parser. For organizations managing large fleets of devices, automated patching mechanisms should be prioritized to minimize exposure windows. Additionally, security teams can employ browser hardening techniques such as disabling JavaScript execution on untrusted domains or using content security policies to restrict inline scripts and external resource loading where feasible. While these controls do not directly fix the underlying code flaw, they reduce the attack surface by limiting the ability of malicious HTML pages to execute arbitrary logic within the browser environment. Continuous monitoring for anomalous network traffic originating from browsers can also help detect potential exploitation attempts in real-time.