CVE-2026-11306 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 06/05/2026
Use after free in PDFium in Google Chrome prior to 149.0.7827.53 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside a sandbox via a crafted PDF file. (Chromium security severity: Low)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition within the PDFium library component that powers Chrome's PDF rendering functionality. The flaw exists in the memory management handling of PDF objects where freed memory blocks are still being accessed or referenced by subsequent operations. When processing maliciously crafted PDF files, the vulnerability allows an attacker to manipulate the memory layout and potentially execute arbitrary code within Chrome's sandboxed environment. The issue stems from improper object lifecycle management where PDFium fails to properly invalidate references to objects that have been deallocated, creating a window of opportunity for memory corruption attacks.
The technical exploitation involves crafting a PDF file that triggers specific parsing sequences leading to the use-after-free condition. This typically occurs when the PDF parser encounters malformed or specially constructed objects that cause the system to free memory associated with a particular PDF element while other code paths still attempt to reference that same memory location. The Chromium security severity classification as low reflects the complexity of exploitation requirements and the sandbox protections in place, though the underlying vulnerability remains highly dangerous due to the privileged execution context within Chrome's renderer process. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-416 which defines use-after-free conditions as a common class of memory safety flaws that can lead to remote code execution.
The operational impact extends beyond simple code execution as this vulnerability can be leveraged to bypass Chrome's security model and potentially escalate privileges within the sandbox boundaries. Attackers can craft PDF documents that exploit this flaw to achieve arbitrary code execution without requiring user interaction beyond opening the malicious file. The sandbox isolation, while providing protection against system-level compromise, can be circumvented through successful exploitation of such memory corruption vulnerabilities. This vulnerability affects all versions of Chrome prior to 149.0.7827.53 and represents a significant risk to users who regularly process PDF documents from untrusted sources.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to ensure the latest security updates are applied. Organizations should implement strict PDF handling policies, including sandboxed PDF viewing for untrusted documents and regular security audits of PDF processing workflows. Browser security teams should consider additional defensive measures such as improved memory validation and enhanced sandboxing boundaries to prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and implementing layered security approaches when dealing with complex document processing components that handle untrusted data. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious PDF file patterns and unusual memory access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.