CVE-2026-119271 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/30/2026
Use after free in Skia 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 flaw within the Skia graphics library, which serves as the core rendering engine for Google Chrome prior to version 156.0.8078.79, represents a critical memory safety issue with significant security implications. This defect arises when the application continues to reference a memory block after it has been freed or reallocated by the system. In the context of web browsers, such errors are particularly dangerous because they can be triggered through standard web technologies like HTML and JavaScript. An attacker who crafts a malicious webpage containing specific sequences that exploit this timing error can cause Chrome to access invalid memory addresses or interpret data in unintended ways. The severity is classified as High by Chromium security standards due to the potential for arbitrary code execution, which fundamentally undermines the integrity of the user's system.
From a technical perspective, Skia handles complex graphical operations including text rendering, image processing, and vector graphics. When an object within this library is destroyed but pointers or references to it remain active in other parts of the application state, subsequent operations may read from or write to that freed memory region. This behavior aligns with CWE-416, Use After Free, a category of software errors where a program uses a pointer after it has been freed. The exploitation vector involves a remote attacker hosting a specially crafted HTML page designed to trigger the specific sequence of events leading to the premature deallocation and subsequent invalid access. Because modern browsers operate within sandboxed environments to limit the impact of such exploits, this vulnerability is notable for its ability to escape these protections under certain conditions, allowing code execution inside the browser's restricted context.
The operational impact of successfully exploiting this use-after-free condition extends beyond simple data corruption or application crashes. An attacker can leverage the arbitrary read and write capabilities inherent in memory corruption vulnerabilities to bypass sandbox restrictions. This allows the injection and execution of arbitrary machine code within the process space of the browser. Such an outcome effectively grants the attacker control over the user's session, potentially leading to further compromise such as data theft, installation of malware, or lateral movement within a network if additional privileges are available. The ability to execute code inside the sandbox is particularly concerning because it suggests that existing mitigation strategies like DEP and ASLR may be bypassed through sophisticated exploitation techniques targeting this specific memory management flaw.
To mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, immediate action must focus on updating the browser software. Users running versions of Google Chrome prior to 156.0.8078.79 are advised to upgrade to the latest stable release where these memory safety issues have been addressed by developers through rigorous code review and automated fuzzing tests that detect such edge cases in Skia's rendering pipeline. Additionally, organizations should ensure that browser policies enforce automatic updates or restrict the execution of untrusted content via strict Content Security Policies. From a defensive posture perspective, enabling advanced protection features like site isolation can help contain potential exploits within isolated processes, reducing the likelihood of successful sandbox escapes even if similar vulnerabilities exist in other components.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges in maintaining memory safety in complex software systems that handle user-generated content and dynamic rendering tasks. The integration of static analysis tools during development and continuous monitoring for anomalous behavior can help identify such flaws before they reach production environments. Furthermore, understanding this vulnerability through frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK provides insight into its tactical value; it falls under techniques related to initial access and privilege escalation via client-side exploitation. By recognizing the pattern of use-after-free in graphics libraries, security teams can better prioritize patching efforts for components that are frequently targeted by remote attackers seeking to compromise end-user devices through web-based vectors.