CVE-2026-113229 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Use after free in Loader 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 condition within the Loader component of Google Chrome prior to version 156.0.8078.47 represents a critical memory management error that can be exploited by remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution. This specific flaw occurs when the browser's loading mechanism fails to properly manage the lifecycle of certain objects, specifically allowing access to memory regions after they have been freed and potentially reallocated for other purposes. In the context of web browsers, such errors are particularly dangerous because they can be triggered through standard web technologies like HTML, CSS, or JavaScript embedded in a maliciously crafted webpage. When a user visits this page, the browser processes the content according to its normal rendering pipeline, inadvertently accessing deallocated memory during the loading phase. This access allows an attacker to manipulate internal state variables or overwrite function pointers within the sandboxed environment of the renderer process.
From a technical perspective, use-after-free vulnerabilities are classified under CWE-416 in the Common Weakness Enumeration standard. The core issue lies in the failure to nullify pointers after memory deallocation and the lack of rigorous checks before subsequent access operations. In Chrome's architecture, different components operate within isolated sandboxes to limit the impact of a compromise. However, if an attacker can successfully exploit this use-after-free condition, they may gain control over critical data structures used by the loader. By carefully crafting heap contents through multiple allocations and frees, an attacker can achieve arbitrary read or write primitives. These primitives are essential stepping stones for escalating privileges from the low-privilege renderer process to higher-level processes or bypassing sandbox restrictions entirely. Although Chromium has classified this security severity as Low, likely due to existing mitigations such as ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) and DEP/NX (Data Execution Prevention), these protections do not eliminate the risk but rather increase the complexity of a successful exploit.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant despite its low classification in some contexts because it directly affects user security when browsing untrusted websites. A remote attacker does not need physical access or prior authentication; they only need to lure a victim into visiting a specially crafted HTML page, which could be hosted on any website or delivered via phishing campaigns. Once executed, the arbitrary code runs within the context of the browser process, potentially allowing the theft of sensitive data such as cookies, session tokens, and personal information stored locally by the browser. Furthermore, if the sandbox is bypassed, the attacker could install malware, establish persistence mechanisms, or use the compromised machine as a pivot point for further network attacks. The ability to execute arbitrary code inside the sandbox undermines one of Chrome's primary defense layers, making this vulnerability a serious concern for enterprise environments and individual users alike who rely on secure web browsing.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating Google Chrome to version 156.0.8078.47 or later, where these memory management issues have been addressed by the Chromium development team through code patches that enforce stricter pointer validation and lifecycle management for loader objects. For organizations unable to update immediately due to compatibility constraints, network-level controls such as web filtering proxies can be configured to block access to known malicious domains hosting exploit kits. Additionally, enabling Chrome's built-in sandboxing features ensures that even if an exploitation attempt succeeds, the damage is contained within a restricted environment. Security teams should also monitor for indicators of compromise related to unusual memory usage patterns or unexpected network connections originating from browser processes, which may signal active exploitation attempts. Regular patch management and user awareness training regarding suspicious links remain essential components of a defense-in-depth strategy against such remote code execution vulnerabilities aligned with ATT&CK techniques involving initial access via spearphishing link and lateral movement through compromised credentials if the sandbox is breached.