CVE-2026-113323 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Use after free in Chrome for iOS in Google Chrome on on iOS 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: Low)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free issue within Google Chrome for iOS 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 within the browser's sandboxed environment. This type of flaw occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior that an attacker can manipulate through carefully crafted web content. In this specific instance, the vulnerability was triggered via a maliciously constructed HTML page designed to exploit the lifecycle management errors in Chrome’s rendering engine or JavaScript garbage collection mechanisms on iOS devices. The severity of this issue is classified as Low by Chromium security standards, indicating that while exploitation requires significant effort and precise conditions, it remains a viable path for remote code execution if successfully leveraged against an unpatched user.
From a technical perspective, use-after-free vulnerabilities arise when memory allocated to an object is deallocated but references to that memory location are retained and subsequently accessed. In the context of modern web browsers like Chrome, this often involves complex interactions between JavaScript engines and native code components responsible for rendering HTML or processing DOM elements. When the browser frees a data structure prematurely while other parts of the application still hold valid pointers to it, those dangling pointers may point to memory that has been reallocated for different purposes. An attacker can control the content written into this newly allocated memory through crafted scripts within the malicious HTML page. By carefully timing the deallocation and subsequent access, or by controlling what data is placed in the freed memory region, an attacker can corrupt internal browser structures such as function pointers or object vtables. This corruption allows for the hijacking of control flow, enabling the execution of arbitrary machine code with the privileges granted to the Chrome process on iOS.
The operational impact of this vulnerability centers on the potential compromise of user data and device integrity despite the protective measures inherent in mobile operating systems like iOS. Although Chrome operates within a sandbox that restricts access to sensitive system resources, successful exploitation can lead to information disclosure or further privilege escalation depending on the specific implementation details and OS version. The attacker gains the ability to execute code inside the browser's process space, which may allow them to exfiltrate cookies, session tokens, browsing history, or other locally stored credentials. Furthermore, in some scenarios, this initial foothold could serve as a stepping stone for more advanced attacks targeting the underlying iOS kernel if additional vulnerabilities are chained together. The existence of such flaws highlights the persistent risk posed by complex software ecosystems where memory safety is not enforced at the language level, necessitating rigorous testing and patching cycles to mitigate these risks before they can be weaponized in the wild.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate updates to the affected browser version. Users running Google Chrome on iOS prior to 156.0.8078.47 should update their application through the App Store as soon as possible, ensuring that all memory management fixes included in the patch are applied. For organizations deploying managed browsers or enforcing security policies via Mobile Device Management solutions, it is crucial to verify deployment status across all endpoints to ensure compliance with the latest security baselines. Additionally, defense-in-depth measures such as enabling Content Security Policy headers on web applications can help mitigate some exploitation vectors by restricting script execution contexts, although this does not replace the need for patching the underlying vulnerability. Continuous monitoring of browser update notifications and maintaining up-to-date software configurations remain essential practices in reducing the attack surface associated with memory corruption vulnerabilities like use-after-free flaws.