CVE-2026-121086 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 11/03/2026
Buffer overflow in Skia in Google Chrome prior to 157.0.8103.38 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-6968 represents a critical memory safety failure within the Skia graphics library, which serves as the core 2D rendering engine for Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers prior to version 157.0.8103.38. This flaw is classified as a buffer overflow, specifically falling under CWE-120: Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input or CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write depending on the specific memory manipulation involved in the exploit chain. The root cause lies in improper validation of input data during the processing of graphical primitives by Skia. When a malicious actor constructs an HTML page containing specially crafted graphics commands, such as complex SVG paths or canvas operations that trigger deep recursion or large array allocations within the rendering pipeline, the application fails to correctly bound-check memory accesses. This allows for writing data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, corrupting adjacent memory structures and potentially overwriting critical control flow data like return addresses or function pointers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution outside the browser's sandbox environment. Modern web browsers rely heavily on process isolation and sandboxes to contain the damage from any single compromised tab or plugin. However, by exploiting a buffer overflow in Skia, an attacker can achieve arbitrary code execution that breaks out of these restrictive security boundaries. This breakout capability is particularly dangerous because it allows malware to interact with the underlying operating system directly, bypassing many standard mitigation techniques such as Data Execution Prevention and Address Space Layout Randomization if not properly configured or if additional exploitation steps are employed. The severity rating of High by Chromium reflects this significant risk, as successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise, data theft, installation of persistent backdoors, or use of the infected machine in botnets.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1203: Exploitation for Client Execution and potentially T1059: Command and Scripting Interpreter if the executed code involves scripting languages to further propagate or maintain access. The attack vector is classified as remote via network (T1189), requiring only that a victim visits a maliciously crafted webpage, making it highly scalable for drive-by download attacks. There are no known user interaction requirements beyond visiting the page, which increases the likelihood of successful exploitation in targeted campaigns where social engineering may be used to lure victims to specific sites hosting the exploit code.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate patching. Administrators and end-users must update Google Chrome or any Chromium-based browser to version 157.0.8103.38 or later, which contains patches for this memory safety issue in Skia. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible due to compatibility concerns, network-level controls such as web application firewalls can be configured to detect and block requests containing suspicious patterns associated with buffer overflow exploits, although this is less effective against obfuscated JavaScript-based attacks. Additionally, enabling strict Content Security Policy headers and disabling unnecessary browser features like NPAPI plugins or specific scripting capabilities can reduce the attack surface. Long-term remediation should include adopting memory-safe languages for future development of core components like Skia to prevent similar classes of vulnerabilities from arising in subsequent releases.