CVE-2026-110163 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/15/2026
Use after free in DOM 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)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free error within the Document Object Model of Google Chrome prior to version 155.0.8059.79 represents a critical memory management flaw that compromises the integrity of the browser's execution environment. This specific type of defect occurs when the application continues to reference a memory block after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior that can be exploited by malicious actors. In this instance, the vulnerability resides in the DOM handling mechanisms, which are central to how web pages structure and interact with content. When an attacker crafts a specially designed HTML page containing specific sequences of events or object manipulations, they can trigger conditions where memory is deallocated while still being referenced by active processes within the browser engine.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution inside the sandboxed environment. Modern browsers utilize sandboxes to restrict the privileges of web content, preventing malicious scripts from accessing sensitive system resources or user data directly. However, a use-after-free condition can allow an attacker to manipulate memory pointers in such a way that they gain control over program flow. By carefully crafting the exploit payload within the HTML page, the attacker can overwrite function pointers or other critical data structures with addresses pointing to malicious shellcode. This effectively bypasses the sandbox protections, allowing arbitrary code execution at the level of the browser process itself, which serves as a stepping stone for further system compromise if additional vulnerabilities are present in underlying libraries or operating system components.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-416, Use After Free, which describes situations where software uses memory after it has been freed, often leading to crashes, data corruption, or code execution. The attack vector is categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059, Command and Scripting Interpreter, as the exploitation involves executing arbitrary commands through the compromised browser process. Furthermore, because the vulnerability allows for escape from a restricted environment, it relates to privilege escalation concepts found in techniques like T1068, Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, although primarily focused on breaking out of the sandbox boundary rather than gaining higher user privileges within an OS context.
Mitigation strategies for this issue rely heavily on timely patching and defensive coding practices. Users must update Google Chrome to version 155.0.8059.79 or later immediately upon availability, as these updates contain specific fixes that ensure proper memory lifecycle management within the DOM implementation. Developers working with similar browser engines should implement rigorous checks for pointer validity before dereferencing them and utilize smart pointers or garbage collection mechanisms where applicable to prevent dangling references. Additionally, enabling advanced security features such as site isolation can help mitigate the impact of such vulnerabilities by limiting the scope of data accessible across different origins, thereby reducing the effectiveness of cross-site attacks that might leverage memory corruption flaws for lateral movement within a user's browsing session.