CVE-2026-113319 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Use after free in Accessibility 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: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free error within the Accessibility component of Google Chrome prior to version 156.0.8078.47 represents a critical memory management flaw that undermines the browser's sandboxing mechanisms. This specific class of defect occurs when the application continues to reference a memory block after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior that can be exploited by malicious actors. In the context of web browsers, such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they reside within components responsible for interpreting and rendering complex content, making them frequent targets for remote code execution attacks via crafted HTML pages or embedded scripts.
From a technical perspective, the Accessibility API in Chrome is designed to provide assistive technologies with information about the user interface elements on a webpage. When this component fails to properly manage the lifecycle of its internal data structures, it may retain pointers to memory regions that have already been deallocated by the system's garbage collector or explicit free operations. An attacker can exploit this race condition or logic error by crafting an HTML page that triggers the premature freeing of these objects while still maintaining references to them through other active DOM nodes or event handlers. This allows the attacker to control what data is written into the freed memory space, effectively achieving arbitrary read and write capabilities within the browser process context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution inside the sandbox. Although Chrome employs a multi-process architecture with strict isolation between renderer processes and the system kernel, successful exploitation of a use-after-free in the Accessibility module can allow an attacker to bypass these protections. By carefully crafting heap spray techniques or using specific gadget chains within the browser's binary, an adversary can redirect control flow to execute arbitrary shellcode. This results in full compromise of the user's browsing session and potentially leads to further lateral movement if the sandbox boundaries are breached through additional chained vulnerabilities.
This incident aligns with CWE-416, which defines use-after-free as a critical software error where pointers do not reflect the current allocation status of memory blocks. Furthermore, from an offensive security standpoint such as MITRE ATT&CK, this vulnerability facilitates techniques related to Initial Access and Defense Evasion. Attackers often leverage browser vulnerabilities for drive-by downloads or credential theft, relying on the trust users place in legitimate web content. The medium severity rating assigned by Chromium reflects the complexity required to reliably exploit the flaw across different platforms and configurations, yet it remains a significant risk given the widespread usage of Chrome as a primary internet gateway.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating Google Chrome to version 156.0.8078.47 or later, where these memory management issues have been addressed through rigorous code reviews and automated fuzzing tests that detect such lifecycle errors before deployment. For organizations unable to update immediately, deploying network-level security controls can help mitigate risk. These include restricting access to untrusted websites via proxy servers, enabling strict Content Security Policies (CSP) to limit script execution contexts, and utilizing browser hardening extensions that reduce the attack surface of accessibility features if they are not strictly required for daily operations. Regular patch management remains the most effective defense against such zero-day or near-zero-day exploits targeting widely deployed software components.