CVE-2026-121182 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 11/03/2026
Use after free in DOM in Google Chrome prior to 157.0.8103.38 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 • 11/04/2026
The vulnerability described constitutes a critical memory safety flaw within the Document Object Model implementation of Google Chrome, specifically identified as a use-after-free condition prior to version 157.0.8103.38. This type of error occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed or reallocated. In the context of browser engines like Blink, which powers Chrome, such flaws are particularly dangerous because they can lead to arbitrary code execution if an attacker can control the contents of the freed memory region before it is reused. The Chromium project classified this issue with a high security severity rating, indicating that while exploitation may require specific conditions or user interaction, the potential impact on system integrity is significant and warrants immediate attention from users and administrators alike.
From a technical perspective, use-after-free vulnerabilities in web browsers often arise during complex DOM manipulations where references to elements are not properly invalidated after those elements are removed from the document tree or when their underlying memory structures are deallocated due to garbage collection processes. An attacker could craft an HTML page containing malicious JavaScript that triggers this specific sequence of events. By carefully timing the manipulation and deletion of DOM nodes, the attacker aims to cause the browser engine to access stale pointers. If successful, this allows the attacker to read or write arbitrary memory locations within the renderer process sandbox. This capability effectively bypasses many of the isolation mechanisms designed to contain malicious code execution to a limited scope, potentially leading to full compromise of the user's environment if further exploitation steps are chained together.
The operational impact of such a vulnerability is severe, as it enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code inside the browser's sandboxed renderer process. While modern browsers employ multiple layers of defense including address space layout randomization and control flow integrity, successful exploitation can still lead to data exfiltration, installation of malware, or further lateral movement within a network if the user is part of an enterprise environment. The ability to execute code remotely via a crafted HTML page means that simply visiting a malicious website could be sufficient for compromise, highlighting the critical importance of keeping browser software up to date. This aligns with common attack patterns observed in the wild where drive-by download techniques are used to deliver exploits without any direct user action beyond navigation.
To mitigate this risk and similar vulnerabilities, organizations should ensure that all endpoints running Google Chrome are updated to version 157.0.8103.38 or later as soon as possible. This patch addresses the underlying memory management errors within the DOM implementation, preventing the use of freed pointers during element manipulation. Additionally, implementing strict content security policies can help limit the impact of any potential script execution by restricting sources from which scripts are allowed to load and execute. Regular vulnerability scanning and automated patching solutions should be employed to maintain a strong security posture against such high-severity flaws. From an industry standard perspective, this issue maps closely to CWE-416 Use After Free, which is consistently ranked among the most dangerous software weaknesses due to its potential for remote code execution. Furthermore, in terms of tactical classification within frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK, this vulnerability facilitates initial access and potentially privilege escalation techniques by allowing attackers to break out of sandboxed environments through memory corruption exploits.