CVE-2026-113339 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Use after free in SVG 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 described constitutes a critical use-after-free flaw within the SVG rendering engine of Google Chrome, specifically affecting versions prior to 156.0.8078.47. This type of memory corruption error arises when the application continues to use pointers to freed memory blocks after they have been deallocated by the system. In the context of browser-based attacks, this flaw is particularly dangerous because it allows for arbitrary code execution within the restricted environment of the renderer process sandbox. The presence of a crafted HTML page containing malicious SVG content serves as the attack vector, enabling a remote attacker to exploit the memory management oversight and gain unauthorized control over the application's execution flow.
From a technical perspective, use-after-free vulnerabilities are among the most prevalent causes of successful browser exploits due to their potential for precise memory manipulation. When an object is freed but remains referenced by other parts of the program, subsequent operations on that dangling pointer can lead to unpredictable behavior. In this specific instance, the SVG parser likely failed to properly invalidate references or update pointers when resources were released during rendering or layout calculations. This oversight allows an attacker to craft a scenario where they can control what data is written into the freed memory region, often through heap spraying techniques or by manipulating adjacent objects in the allocator's free list. By carefully controlling the contents of this reused memory block, the attacker can overwrite function pointers or object vtables, thereby redirecting program execution to malicious shellcode injected elsewhere in the process memory space.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, classified with a high security severity by Chromium due to its potential for remote code execution without user interaction beyond visiting a compromised webpage. Successful exploitation grants an attacker full control over the renderer process, which operates under strict sandboxing restrictions designed to limit access to sensitive system resources such as the file system or network interfaces. However, achieving arbitrary code execution within this sandbox is often just one step in a multi-stage attack chain. Attackers typically leverage this initial foothold to perform sandbox escape techniques, aiming to break out of the renderer process and execute code with higher privileges on the host operating system. This could lead to complete compromise of the user's device, including theft of sensitive data, installation of persistent malware, or use of the machine as part of a botnet.
This vulnerability aligns closely with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-416, which defines Use After Free errors. The exploitation strategy typically involves manipulating heap structures to achieve arbitrary read and write primitives, facilitating further memory corruption stages such as type confusion or control flow hijacking. In terms of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability supports techniques related to Initial Access via Spearphishing Link (T1566) if delivered through malicious emails, followed by Execution on Remote Systems (T1059) within the sandboxed environment. The progression from memory corruption to code execution represents a classic exploitation path that highlights the importance of robust memory safety practices in complex software like web browsers.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating Google Chrome to version 156.0.8078.47 or later, where these specific memory management issues have been addressed by developers through rigorous testing and code hardening. For organizations managing large fleets of endpoints, automated patching mechanisms should be prioritized to ensure timely deployment of security updates. Additionally, deploying browser isolation solutions can provide an additional layer of defense by rendering web content in a remote or containerized environment, thereby neutralizing the impact even if a vulnerability is exploited on the client side. Security teams should also monitor for indicators of compromise associated with known exploit kits that target this specific Chrome version range and enforce strict Content Security Policies to restrict inline scripts and untrusted resources where feasible.