CVE-2026-113335 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Memory corruption in Extensions 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 CVE-2023-XXXX, affecting Google Chrome prior to version 156.0.8078.47, represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the browser's Extensions subsystem. This defect allows for arbitrary code execution inside the sandboxed environment of the renderer process when an attacker successfully lures a user into visiting a specially crafted HTML page. The severity is classified as Medium by Chromium security standards, yet its potential impact on system integrity remains significant due to the nature of memory corruption vulnerabilities which can often lead to full compromise if additional exploitation techniques are employed.
At a technical level, this vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation within the extension APIs or associated background scripts. Specifically, it likely involves a use-after-free condition or a heap buffer overflow where data is written beyond the bounds of an allocated buffer without adequate validation checks. When a malicious HTML page interacts with specific extension features, such as accessing local storage, manipulating DOM elements via injected content scripts, or triggering asynchronous callbacks within the extension context, the flawed memory management logic fails to properly sanitize input or manage object lifecycles. This results in corrupted heap metadata or execution of attacker-controlled data stored in previously freed memory regions. The sandboxing mechanism intended to isolate web content from the host system is bypassed because the code executes with the privileges granted to the extension process, which often have broader permissions than standard renderer processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection. By achieving arbitrary code execution within the extension's context, an attacker can potentially access sensitive user data such as browsing history, saved passwords, cookies, and other credentials stored by extensions or accessed through browser APIs. Furthermore, since many extensions possess elevated privileges to interact with system-level features like file systems, network requests, or native messaging hosts, successful exploitation could allow the attacker to pivot from a web-based attack vector into more severe system compromises. This includes installing persistent malware, exfiltrating data over encrypted channels undetected by standard security tools, and using the compromised browser instance as a foothold for further lateral movement within a corporate network if enterprise policies are in place but not strictly enforced against malicious extensions.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-120 Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input or CWE-416 Use After Free, depending on the specific memory corruption mechanism observed during reverse engineering efforts. In terms of attack vectors and tactics, it maps to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter for initial execution within the browser environment and potentially T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution if the payload triggers a download or installation sequence. The reliance on social engineering via crafted HTML pages places this firmly in the realm of web-based attacks, leveraging user interaction to trigger the exploit chain.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate patching and long-term security hygiene. Users should immediately update Google Chrome to version 156.0.8078.47 or later where these memory management issues have been rectified by Chromium developers through rigorous code review and fuzz testing improvements. Beyond updating, administrators should enforce strict extension policies using enterprise management tools to whitelist only trusted extensions and disable the ability for users to install unverified add-ons from unknown sources. Regular audits of installed extensions are crucial to remove any that request excessive permissions or have not been updated recently by their developers. Additionally, enabling Chrome's built-in Safe Browsing features can help detect and block navigation to known malicious sites hosting such crafted pages, providing an additional layer of defense against exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability class.