CVE-2026-113024 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Use after free in WebAppInstalls 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)
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free flaw within the WebAppInstalls component of Google Chrome prior to version 156.0.8078.47 represents a critical memory safety issue that undermines the browser's sandboxing mechanisms. This specific class of error occurs when an application attempts to access or manipulate a pointer after the memory it references has already been freed and potentially reallocated for other purposes. In the context of Chrome, this flaw resides in the logic governing how web applications are installed and managed, specifically within the code paths that handle the lifecycle of these app instances. When a crafted HTML page triggers the installation process or interacts with an existing Web App instance, it can cause the browser to release memory associated with internal data structures while retaining references to those same objects elsewhere in the execution flow.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-416, which defines use-after-free as a condition where software uses memory after it has been freed. The operational mechanism involves an attacker hosting or directing a victim to a malicious HTML page designed to exploit race conditions or specific state transitions within the WebAppInstalls module. By carefully crafting the sequence of events that lead to the deallocation and subsequent access, the attacker can cause Chrome to write to or read from arbitrary memory locations controlled by the attacker. This capability is particularly dangerous because it allows for information disclosure or, more critically, code execution. The ability to control memory writes enables an attacker to overwrite function pointers or object vtables, thereby redirecting program flow to malicious shellcode injected into the process address space.
The security severity of this vulnerability is classified as Low by Chromium standards, yet its potential impact remains significant due to the nature of browser-based attacks. While the sandbox provides a layer of defense that restricts what executed code can do on the host system, achieving arbitrary code execution within the renderer process or even escaping it through further exploitation chains poses a severe risk. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw could potentially bypass security restrictions and execute commands with the privileges of the user running the browser. This compromises not only the confidentiality and integrity of data stored locally but also facilitates broader attacks such as credential theft, session hijacking, or lateral movement within a network if the compromised machine is part of an enterprise environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate software updates to ensure that all instances of Google Chrome are upgraded to version 156.0.8078.47 or later, where these memory management issues have been corrected by the development team. Organizations should enforce automated patching policies to minimize the window of exposure. Additionally, users can employ defense-in-depth measures such as enabling site isolation features within Chrome, which restricts how much data different sites can access from each other, thereby limiting the blast radius of any potential exploitation. Security teams should also monitor for indicators of compromise related to memory corruption attacks and ensure that endpoint detection and response solutions are configured to detect anomalous behavior consistent with exploit attempts targeting browser vulnerabilities.
This incident underscores the importance of rigorous code review and static analysis in modern web browsers, where complex interactions between JavaScript engines and native C++ components create numerous opportunities for subtle bugs like use-after-free errors. The ATT&CK framework categorizes such exploits under techniques involving client-side exploitation, specifically highlighting how attackers leverage software vulnerabilities to gain initial access or escalate privileges within a target environment. Continuous monitoring of vulnerability databases and prompt application of security patches remain the most effective defenses against these types of remote code execution threats in widely deployed web browsers.