CVE-2026-119260 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/30/2026
Use after free in Frames in Google Chrome prior to 156.0.8078.79 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 • 10/30/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free condition within the Frames component of Google Chrome prior to version 156.0.8078.79 represents a critical memory management flaw that compromises the integrity and confidentiality of user data. This specific defect arises when the browser's rendering engine fails to properly manage the lifecycle of frame objects, allowing access to memory regions after they have been deallocated by the system. In modern web browsers, frames are used to embed content from different sources within a single page, often involving complex interactions between JavaScript and HTML elements. When an attacker crafts a malicious webpage that triggers this specific sequence of events, it can lead to arbitrary code execution capabilities for remote attackers who exploit the vulnerability through social engineering or drive-by download tactics.
From a technical perspective, use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed. In the context of Chromium-based browsers, this often involves manipulating frame objects where references are not correctly invalidated upon deallocation. An attacker can craft an HTML page that forces the browser to free a specific frame object while maintaining active references to it elsewhere in the application state. By carefully controlling the allocation and freeing patterns, the attacker can cause the freed memory to be reallocated for their own malicious data structures. When the vulnerable code subsequently accesses this pointer, it inadvertently operates on the attacker-controlled data rather than the original intended structure. This misalignment allows for precise control over program execution flow, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the browser's sandboxed environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote exploitation via a crafted HTML page. Although modern browsers employ robust security mitigations such as site isolation and sandboxes designed to limit the damage caused by successful exploits, bypassing these protections remains possible with high-severity flaws like use-after-free conditions. If an attacker successfully leverages this vulnerability, they could execute arbitrary code on the victim's machine under the context of the browser process. This could lead to full system compromise if additional vulnerabilities are chained together or if sandbox escape techniques are employed. The severity rating of High by Chromium security reflects the likelihood and impact of such exploitation in real-world scenarios where users may inadvertently visit malicious sites containing embedded exploit code.
Industry standards classify this type of flaw under CWE-416, which describes Use After Free errors as a category of software defects resulting from improper memory management practices. The attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, specifically the exploitation for execution phase where attackers leverage vulnerabilities in applications to run malicious code. Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating Google Chrome to version 156.0.8078.79 or later, which includes patches addressing these memory management issues within the Frames component. Additionally, users should maintain strict browsing hygiene by avoiding untrusted websites and utilizing browser extensions that block potentially dangerous scripts or content from unknown origins. For organizations, implementing automated patch management systems ensures timely deployment of security updates to mitigate exposure to such high-severity vulnerabilities in widely used web browsers.