CVE-2026-112999 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Use after free in API in Google Chrome prior to 156.0.8078.47 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 • 10/21/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free condition within the application programming interface of Google Chrome prior to version 156.0.8078.47 represents a critical memory management flaw that undermines the browser's core security model. This specific defect occurs when an object is deallocated from memory but remains referenced by other parts of the system, allowing subsequent operations to access invalid or freed memory addresses. In the context of web browsers, such flaws are particularly dangerous because they can be triggered through standard web content delivery mechanisms. An attacker who crafts a malicious HTML page containing specific JavaScript sequences and DOM manipulations can exploit this timing window between object deallocation and reference cleanup to execute arbitrary code within the browser process space.
From a technical perspective, use-after-free vulnerabilities stem from improper handling of dynamic memory allocation in C++ based software like Chromium. When an application fails to nullify pointers after freeing associated memory or allows multiple references to persist beyond the lifetime of the allocated object, it creates a state where stale pointers can be dereferenced. In Chrome's architecture, which relies heavily on sandboxing to isolate web content from the operating system and user data, this flaw is significant because successful exploitation may allow an attacker to escape these isolation boundaries or achieve code execution within the renderer process with elevated privileges relative to normal script execution contexts. The Chromium security team has classified this issue as medium severity, indicating that while it requires specific conditions such as a crafted HTML page delivered via social engineering or drive-by download vectors, its potential for remote code execution makes it a high-priority fix.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for end-users and enterprise environments alike. A successful exploit could lead to arbitrary code execution inside the sandboxed environment of Chrome. While modern browser sandboxes are designed to limit the damage of such breaches by restricting file system access, network capabilities, and hardware interaction, achieving any form of code execution increases the attack surface significantly. Attackers can leverage this foothold to install malware, steal sensitive cookies and session tokens, perform keylogging, or pivot further into internal networks if additional vulnerabilities are chained together. The reliance on a crafted HTML page means that users visiting compromised websites or clicking malicious links in emails could inadvertently trigger the exploit without any direct user interaction beyond loading the page, highlighting the importance of keeping browser versions updated to patch these memory safety issues promptly.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate software updates and adherence to secure development practices for future iterations. Users should upgrade Google Chrome to version 156.0.8078.47 or later as soon as possible to ensure that the underlying memory management logic correctly handles object lifecycles and prevents access to freed memory regions. For organizations, implementing strict content security policies can help mitigate some risks by restricting inline scripts and untrusted sources, although this does not fully prevent exploitation of browser engine flaws like use-after-free. Additionally, enabling automatic updates ensures that patches for such vulnerabilities are applied without manual intervention. From a development standpoint, adopting static analysis tools and fuzzing techniques during the Chromium build process can help detect these memory safety issues before they reach production releases, aligning with industry standards such as CWE-416 which specifically categorizes use-after-free errors.
This vulnerability also maps to specific entries in established security taxonomies that aid in broader threat intelligence efforts. It is classified under Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-416, which covers the scenario where a pointer references memory that has been freed and subsequently reused without proper reallocation or nullification. In terms of attack behavior, this aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes exploitation for client execution, specifically targeting software applications to gain initial access or execute commands on victim systems. Understanding these mappings allows security teams to better monitor for indicators of compromise associated with browser-based exploits and prioritize patching efforts based on the potential impact defined by both internal severity ratings and external framework classifications.