CVE-2026-113076 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Use after free in Toolbar in Google Chrome on on Android 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 CVE-2023-XXXX, affecting Google Chrome on Android prior to version 156.0.8078.47, represents a critical memory safety flaw classified under the CWE category of Use After Free (CWE-416). This specific defect resides within the Toolbar component of the Chromium browser engine, which is responsible for rendering user interface elements such as address bars and navigation controls on mobile devices. The core technical issue arises from improper management of object lifecycles in memory, where a pointer to an already freed or deallocated memory block continues to be referenced by the application logic. When a remote attacker crafts a malicious HTML page designed to trigger this specific sequence, they can exploit the dangling pointer to write arbitrary data into previously released memory regions. This manipulation allows for potential control flow hijacking or code execution within the browser's sandboxed environment, bypassing standard security boundaries intended to isolate web content from the underlying operating system and other applications.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a significant risk because it can be triggered simply by visiting a maliciously constructed website, requiring no user interaction beyond loading the page. The exploitation of a use-after-free bug often leads to arbitrary code execution, which in the context of a web browser is particularly dangerous due to the sandboxing mechanisms designed to limit damage. However, successful exploitation indicates that an attacker has managed to bypass or escape these sandboxes, potentially gaining access to sensitive user data such as cookies, saved passwords, browsing history, and local storage contents. The Chromium security team has rated this issue with a Medium severity level, reflecting its potential for remote code execution while acknowledging the mitigating factors provided by Chrome's existing sandbox architecture, which may complicate full system compromise despite successful exploitation within the browser process.
The technical mechanics of such vulnerabilities typically involve race conditions or logical errors in reference counting systems where objects are destroyed prematurely but not all references to them are cleared immediately. In mobile environments like Android, memory constraints and aggressive garbage collection policies can sometimes exacerbate these timing issues if developers do not strictly adhere to safe coding practices regarding object ownership and deletion. The presence of this flaw highlights the complexity of maintaining secure codebases in large-scale projects like Chromium, where thousands of contributors interact with complex UI components that handle dynamic content rendering.
To mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, users must ensure their Google Chrome application on Android is updated to version 156.0.8078.47 or later immediately upon availability. This update contains patches that correct the memory management logic within the Toolbar component, ensuring that freed objects are properly nullified and cannot be accessed by subsequent operations. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict browser update policies for all mobile devices in their fleet to minimize exposure windows. Security awareness training regarding phishing attacks is also recommended, as attackers will likely distribute malicious HTML pages via social engineering tactics to exploit this specific flaw before widespread patching occurs. Monitoring network traffic for unusual outbound connections from the Chrome process can serve as a secondary detection mechanism for potential exploitation attempts.
This incident aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Initial Access and Execution, specifically those involving browser-based attacks such as Drive-by-Code (T1189) or Exploitation for Client Execution (T1203). Understanding the context of CWE-416 helps developers prioritize memory safety audits in future releases. The resolution underscores the importance of rigorous static analysis tools and fuzzing techniques during the software development lifecycle to detect dangling pointer issues before they reach production builds. By addressing these low-level memory errors, Google Chrome continues to strengthen its defense-in-depth strategy against sophisticated remote attackers targeting mobile platforms.