CVE-2026-113336 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Memory corruption in Compositing in Google Chrome prior to 156.0.8078.47 allowed a remote attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code outside 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 involves a critical memory corruption flaw within the compositing subsystem of Google Chrome, specifically affecting versions prior to 156.0.8078.47. This component is responsible for managing how visual elements are combined and rendered on screen, handling tasks such as layer composition and animation smoothing. The root cause lies in improper memory management practices within this module, which can lead to conditions like use-after-free or buffer overflow when processing maliciously crafted input. Such flaws typically arise from race conditions or incorrect pointer arithmetic during the rendering pipeline's execution, allowing an attacker to manipulate internal data structures that control memory allocation and deallocation processes.
From a technical perspective, the exploitation of this vulnerability enables a remote attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution outside the browser sandbox environment. Modern web browsers employ strict sandboxing mechanisms to isolate untrusted content from sensitive system resources. However, when a renderer process experiences a memory corruption error in a privileged component like compositing, it can potentially escape these isolation boundaries. By crafting a specific HTML page that triggers the flawed logic during rendering, an attacker can overwrite critical function pointers or return addresses within the browser's memory space. This manipulation allows for the execution of arbitrary machine code with the privileges granted to the compromised process, effectively bypassing security controls designed to prevent such escapes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote exploitation without user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage. Attackers can distribute exploit kits via phishing campaigns or drive-by downloads where users are directed to specially crafted sites. Once executed, the payload could install malware, exfiltrate sensitive data stored in browser memory such as cookies and session tokens, or establish persistent backdoors on the victim's system. The severity rating of High reflects the ease with which this flaw can be leveraged by threat actors who possess knowledge of low-level exploitation techniques, making it a significant risk to end-user security and organizational integrity.
To mitigate this risk, immediate action is required to update Google Chrome to version 156.0.8078.47 or later, where the underlying memory management issues have been addressed by developers through rigorous code reviews and automated fuzzing tests. Organizations should enforce automatic updates for all endpoints running affected versions to ensure rapid patch deployment. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting and restricting script execution in untrusted zones can reduce the attack surface available to potential exploiters. Security teams should also monitor network traffic for indicators of compromise associated with known browser exploitation frameworks that target this specific vulnerability class.
This incident aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) categories such as CWE-120 Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input and CWE-416 Use After Free, which describe the fundamental memory safety errors present in the codebase. In terms of tactical classification under MITRE ATT&CK, this vulnerability facilitates techniques related to Initial Access via Drive-by Compromise and Privilege Escalation through Browser Exploitation. Understanding these mappings helps security professionals prioritize remediation efforts based on established industry standards for vulnerability management and threat intelligence integration.