CVE-2026-113253 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Use after free in Canvas 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: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free condition within the Canvas component of Google Chrome prior to version 156.0.8078.47 represents a critical memory management flaw that compromises the integrity and confidentiality of user data. This specific class of error occurs when the application attempts to access or manipulate memory that has already been deallocated by the system's garbage collector or explicit freeing mechanisms. In the context of browser rendering engines, such as Blink used in Chromium-based browsers, this typically involves complex object lifecycles where JavaScript objects interact with native C++ components responsible for drawing graphics on an HTML5 canvas element. When a reference to an object is retained after its underlying memory has been released, subsequent operations targeting that stale pointer can lead to unpredictable behavior, including crashes or, more dangerously, arbitrary code execution.
From a technical perspective, the flaw allows a remote attacker to exploit this race condition or logic error through a specially crafted HTML page hosted on a malicious website. By manipulating the timing of object destruction and access, an attacker can cause the browser to write data into freed memory regions. If the attacker has control over what is written to that memory space before it is reallocated for another purpose, they may be able to overwrite function pointers or virtual table entries within adjacent objects. This technique enables the injection and execution of arbitrary machine code within the context of the browser process. The severity rating of High in Chromium reflects the potential for this vulnerability to bypass standard security boundaries when combined with other techniques aimed at defeating memory protection mechanisms such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP) or Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR).
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, particularly because it facilitates remote code execution via a web page. Users who visit the malicious site containing the crafted HTML payload could have their systems compromised without any additional interaction beyond loading the page in an affected version of Chrome. This aligns with common attack vectors described in industry standards such as CWE-416, which defines use-after-free errors as a primary cause of software vulnerabilities leading to security breaches. Furthermore, this exploit path is consistent with tactics observed in advanced persistent threats and drive-by download attacks where initial access is gained through browser-based exploits rather than direct user interaction like file downloads or email attachments.
In terms of threat intelligence frameworks, this vulnerability maps closely to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for client execution. The attacker leverages a software flaw in an application used by the victim to execute malicious code on their device. Because Chrome operates with sandboxing privileges designed to limit the damage caused by such exploits, successful exploitation of this use-after-free bug suggests that the attacker may have found a way to escape or bypass these sandbox restrictions, thereby gaining higher-level access to the operating system. This escalation from browser context to host compromise significantly increases the risk profile for organizations relying on Chrome as their primary web browsing tool.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate patching of all affected systems to version 156.0.8078.47 or later, where these memory management issues have been resolved by Google's engineering team through rigorous code review and fuzz testing. Organizations should ensure that automatic updates are enabled for Chrome to prevent exposure windows from widening due to delayed patching. Additionally, security teams can implement browser hardening policies such as disabling JavaScript execution on untrusted domains or using content security policies to restrict the loading of external resources if feasible within their operational constraints. Monitoring network traffic for unusual outbound connections following web browsing sessions may also help detect potential post-exploitation activities resulting from successful exploitation attempts against older, vulnerable versions still in use across an enterprise environment.