CVE-2026-110169 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/13/2026
Use after free in V8 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 • 10/14/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free flaw within the V8 JavaScript engine, which powers Google Chrome prior to version 155.0.8059.79, represents a critical memory management error that compromises the integrity of the browser's execution environment. This specific class of vulnerabilities occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed or reallocated. In the context of V8, this typically involves JavaScript objects being garbage collected while still referenced by active code paths or internal structures within the engine. When an attacker crafts a malicious HTML page that triggers this condition, they can manipulate the contents of the reclaimed memory region before it is reused for other purposes. This manipulation allows the attacker to control critical data structures such as function pointers or object headers, effectively hijacking the flow of execution within the V8 runtime.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution with a high severity rating assigned by Chromium security teams. Because modern browsers operate in a sandboxed environment designed to isolate web content from the underlying operating system, exploiting a use-after-free requires precise control over memory layout and object types to bypass these protections. However, successful exploitation of this flaw allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code inside the browser's process space. While the initial execution is confined within the sandbox, further exploitation techniques such as heap spraying or specific gadget chains can often be employed to escape the sandbox boundary entirely. This escalation leads to full system compromise on the victim's machine, enabling data theft, installation of malware, or use of the device in a botnet without any user interaction beyond visiting the malicious webpage.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which defines Use After Free as an error where software uses memory after it has been freed. This misstep violates fundamental principles of safe memory management and is frequently cited in security audits for high-risk applications. Furthermore, the exploitation technique maps to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to initial access via browser exploits, specifically leveraging client-side code execution. The attack vector relies on social engineering or drive-by download tactics where a user is directed to a compromised or maliciously crafted website that hosts the exploit payload embedded within HTML and JavaScript content.
Mitigation for this vulnerability primarily involves immediate software updates. Administrators and end-users must upgrade Google Chrome to version 155.0.8059.79 or later, where the underlying memory management logic in V8 has been patched to prevent dangling pointers from being dereferenced after deallocation. In environments where patching is not immediately feasible, network-level controls such as web filtering proxies can be configured to block access to known malicious domains hosting exploit kits. Additionally, enabling Chrome's built-in sandbox features and keeping operating system security patches up to date provides defense in depth against potential exploitation attempts that might attempt to escape the browser container after achieving initial code execution within V8.