CVE-2026-113015 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Use after free in Workers 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: Low)
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free condition within the Workers component of Google Chrome prior to version 156.0.8078.47 represents a critical memory management error that compromises the integrity of the browser's execution environment. This flaw arises when an object is accessed after its memory has been freed, typically due to improper handling of references or lifecycle events within the Web Workers API implementation. In this specific context, the vulnerability allows for arbitrary code execution inside the sandboxed worker process rather than directly in the main renderer process. While Chromium classified the security severity as Low, likely due to the constraints imposed by the sandboxing architecture, the underlying mechanism remains a severe memory corruption issue that can be leveraged by malicious actors under certain conditions.
From a technical perspective, use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to use a pointer after it has been freed from heap memory. This state often leads to undefined behavior, which attackers exploit to gain control over program execution flow. In the case of Chrome Workers, the vulnerability likely stems from a race condition or an incorrect reference count management where a worker thread retains access to deallocated data structures. When a crafted HTML page triggers this sequence, it can manipulate these dangling pointers to overwrite adjacent memory regions with attacker-controlled data. This manipulation enables the execution of arbitrary instructions within the context of the worker process, potentially bypassing standard security controls if the sandbox boundaries are not strictly enforced or if additional exploitation techniques such as heap spraying are employed to stabilize the exploit environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant despite its low severity rating in Chromium's internal tracking system. A remote attacker can host a malicious webpage containing specially crafted HTML and JavaScript that, when visited by an unsuspecting user, triggers the use-after-free condition. Successful exploitation allows for arbitrary code execution within the sandboxed worker process. While modern browsers employ multiple layers of defense including memory protection features like ASLR and DEP, as well as strict sandboxing policies, any breach into a privileged or semi-privileged context increases the attack surface. If an attacker can escape the sandbox from this point, they could potentially access sensitive user data, install malware, or pivot to further attacks on the host system. The ability to execute code remotely via a simple web page visit makes this a high-risk vector for drive-by download attacks and targeted phishing campaigns.
To mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, organizations and individual users must ensure that Google Chrome is updated to version 156.0.8078.47 or later immediately upon availability. This patch addresses the memory management errors within the Workers component by correcting the reference handling logic and ensuring proper deallocation procedures are followed. Additionally, security administrators should enforce strict content security policies and consider deploying browser isolation technologies such as Microsoft Edge IE Mode or third-party sandboxing solutions to further limit the impact of any potential future exploits. Regular monitoring for unusual network activity originating from browser processes can also aid in detecting attempted exploitation attempts before they result in full system compromise.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which describes use after free errors, a common class of software defects that lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. In terms of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this exploit technique falls under Tactic Execution (TA0002) specifically within the command and script interpreter subcategory or potentially privilege escalation if sandbox escape is achieved. The attack vector corresponds to Remote Code Execution via a web-based interface, highlighting the importance of keeping browser software up-to-date as browsers are frequently targeted due to their widespread use and access to sensitive user data. Understanding these technical details helps security teams prioritize patching efforts and enhance monitoring strategies against similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in other applications that utilize complex object lifecycle management systems.