CVE-2026-113148 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Memory corruption in WebUI in Google Chrome prior to 156.0.8078.47 allowed a remote attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code inside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2026
The vulnerability described involves a memory corruption flaw within the WebUI component of Google Chrome, specifically affecting versions prior to 156.0.8078.47. This defect represents a critical failure in how the browser handles data structures during the rendering and processing of web content. Memory corruption vulnerabilities are among the most dangerous classes of software defects because they can lead to arbitrary code execution, privilege escalation, or denial of service conditions. In this specific instance, the flaw resides within the WebUI subsystem, which is responsible for managing the user interface elements that interact with browser internals rather than just rendering standard web pages from external domains. This distinction is significant because it implies a potential breach in the isolation boundaries between different security zones within the browser architecture.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows a remote attacker to exploit the flaw by crafting a malicious HTML page designed to trigger the memory corruption condition when loaded and processed by the vulnerable version of Chrome. The exploitation mechanism likely involves manipulating specific inputs or state transitions that cause an out-of-bounds write, use-after-free, or heap overflow within the WebUI process. Because modern browsers employ strict sandboxing mechanisms to limit the impact of such exploits, the attacker's goal is typically to escape this restricted environment. By carefully crafting the exploit payload, a remote adversary can achieve arbitrary code execution inside the browser's sandboxed renderer processes. This capability effectively neutralizes one of the primary defense layers that protects users from malicious web content, allowing subsequent stages of an attack chain to proceed with higher privileges or broader access capabilities.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a severe risk to user confidentiality and system integrity. If successfully exploited, it enables remote code execution without any user interaction beyond visiting the crafted webpage, which aligns with common phishing or drive-by download tactics. The impact extends beyond simple data theft; it can lead to full compromise of the browser session, potentially allowing attackers to access stored passwords, cookies, browsing history, and other sensitive credentials protected by the same sandbox context. Furthermore, successful exploitation could serve as a foothold for further lateral movement within an enterprise network if the compromised machine is part of a larger infrastructure. The severity rating of Medium reflects the balance between the ease of remote exploitation and the existing mitigations provided by Chrome's multi-process architecture, yet it remains high enough to warrant immediate attention due to the potential for widespread impact across millions of users running outdated versions.
To mitigate this risk, 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 underlying memory management errors within the WebUI component, thereby closing the attack vector utilized by remote attackers. In environments where automatic updates are not enabled, administrators should implement automated patching policies to ensure timely deployment of security fixes. Additionally, deploying endpoint detection and response solutions that monitor for anomalous process behavior can help detect exploitation attempts in real-time. Security teams should also review their web filtering strategies to block access to known malicious domains or untrusted sources until all endpoints are verified as patched against this vulnerability.
This incident is categorized under CWE-120, which denotes Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input Classic Buffer Overflow, and potentially CWE-787 if it involves out-of-bounds writes that corrupt memory structures leading to control flow hijacking. In the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability facilitates techniques associated with Initial Access via Spearphishing Link or Drive-by Compromise, as well as Defense Evasion through Sandbox Escape. The exploitation path aligns with T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter if subsequent scripts are executed within the compromised sandbox environment. Understanding these mappings helps security professionals prioritize remediation efforts based on established threat intelligence frameworks and industry best practices for vulnerability management.