CVE-2026-113039 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Use after free in Bookmarks 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)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free error within the Bookmarks component of Google Chrome prior to version 156.0.8078.47 represents a critical memory management flaw that undermines the browser's sandboxing mechanisms. This type of defect occurs when an application continues to use a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed, leading to undefined behavior that can be exploited by malicious actors. In this specific instance, the flaw resides in how Chrome handles bookmark data structures during rendering or manipulation processes. When a crafted HTML page triggers the execution path involving these bookmarks, the browser fails to properly manage the lifecycle of certain internal objects. Consequently, after an object is deallocated from memory, subsequent operations may still reference its former address rather than nullifying the pointer or reallocating safe memory. This stale reference allows for arbitrary read and write access to adjacent memory regions, which serves as a foundational primitive for more complex exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution within the browser's sandboxed environment. Although Chrome employs robust security measures such as site isolation and process separation to limit the damage caused by exploits, a successful use-after-free attack can bypass these protections if it allows an attacker to achieve arbitrary memory write capabilities. By carefully crafting heap layouts and exploiting timing conditions, an adversary can overwrite function pointers or virtual table entries within the sandboxed renderer process. This manipulation enables the execution of arbitrary code with the privileges granted to that specific browser process. While the Chromium security severity is classified as Low, indicating a lower likelihood of widespread exploitation compared to high-severity issues, the technical capability remains significant for targeted attacks where precise control over memory layout can be achieved through sophisticated social engineering or drive-by download scenarios involving specially constructed web content.
From an industry standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which describes Use After Free conditions. The exploitation technique typically involves manipulating the heap to place attacker-controlled data in the location of the freed object, thereby gaining control over program flow upon subsequent access. In terms of attack vectors and tactics, this scenario maps closely to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to memory corruption exploits, specifically those leveraging invalid memory references for code execution. The initial access vector is remote via a crafted HTML page, which falls under standard web-based application attacks where the victim interacts with malicious content without explicit user intent beyond visiting the site. This highlights the persistent risk posed by complex software components like bookmark managers, which handle diverse data types and interactions that can introduce subtle memory safety errors if not rigorously audited for proper resource management.
Mitigation strategies primarily focus on timely patching to ensure all users are running versions of Chrome 156.0.8078.47 or later where the underlying memory handling logic has been corrected. Developers and security teams should prioritize updating browser installations across enterprise environments to eliminate exposure to this specific flaw. Additionally, enabling automatic update mechanisms ensures that critical security patches are applied promptly without requiring manual intervention from end-users. For organizations seeking defense-in-depth measures, deploying content security policies can help restrict the execution of untrusted scripts within certain contexts, although such controls may not fully prevent exploitation of low-level memory corruption bugs if they occur in core browser processes rather than isolated script environments. Regular vulnerability assessments and monitoring for emerging exploit kits targeting known Chrome vulnerabilities are also recommended to maintain a strong security posture against evolving threats that leverage these types of memory safety issues.