CVE-2026-110139 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/15/2026
Use after free in Media in Google Chrome prior to 155.0.8059.79 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free condition within the media subsystem of Google Chrome prior to version 155.0.8059.79 represents a critical memory safety flaw that undermines the browser's sandboxing mechanisms. This type of error occurs when an application continues to use a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed, leading to undefined behavior that can be exploited by malicious actors. In this specific instance, the defect resides in how Chrome handles media resources, which are often processed through complex pipelines involving multiple components and asynchronous operations. When these components interact improperly during resource deallocation, dangling pointers may remain accessible, allowing an attacker to manipulate memory contents for arbitrary code execution.
From a technical perspective, use-after-free vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can lead to heap corruption or control flow hijacking if the freed memory is reallocated and overwritten with attacker-controlled data before being accessed again. The Chromium security team has classified this issue as High severity due to its potential impact on system integrity. Attackers could craft a malicious HTML page that triggers specific media playback scenarios, causing the browser to free certain objects while retaining references to them. By carefully controlling the timing of memory allocation and deallocation through JavaScript or embedded media elements, an attacker can overwrite these freed regions with shellcode or other exploit payloads. When the vulnerable code subsequently accesses the dangling pointer, it executes the injected instructions within the context of the Chrome process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant because it allows remote attackers to bypass browser sandboxing protections and execute arbitrary code on the victim's machine. Modern browsers rely heavily on sandboxes to isolate web content from the underlying operating system, preventing malicious websites from accessing sensitive user data or installing malware. However, successful exploitation of a use-after-free flaw in core components like media handling can break this isolation layer. This enables lateral movement within the local environment, potential privilege escalation if combined with other vulnerabilities, and compromise of personal information stored locally by the browser such as cookies, passwords, and browsing history.
This vulnerability aligns closely with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) category CWE-416, which describes use after free errors resulting from improper memory management practices. Additionally, in terms of attack tactics, this exploitation technique corresponds to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to execution via browser-based methods and potentially command injection if the executed code interacts further with system commands. The ability to execute arbitrary code inside the sandbox highlights a failure in enforcing strict object lifecycle rules within the media processing pipeline, where reference counting or garbage collection mechanisms failed to prevent access to released memory blocks.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating Google Chrome to version 155.0.8059.79 or later, which includes patches addressing these specific memory management issues in the media subsystem. Organizations should enforce automated update policies for all endpoints running affected versions of the browser to ensure timely application of security fixes. For users unable to immediately patch their systems, deploying network-level filtering solutions that block access to known malicious domains hosting crafted HTML pages can provide a layer of defense-in-depth. Furthermore, enabling strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers and disabling unnecessary media features in enterprise environments may reduce the attack surface available for exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability class.