CVE-2026-121247 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 11/03/2026
Buffer overflow in Dawn in Google Chrome on on Android prior to 157.0.8103.38 allowed a remote attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Critical)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-6962 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Dawn component of Google Chrome on Android, specifically affecting versions prior to 157.0.8103.38. Dawn serves as Chromium’s implementation of WebGPU, a graphics and compute API designed for web applications. This specific memory corruption issue arises from improper handling of data structures during the processing of crafted HTML pages that trigger complex rendering or computational operations via WebGL or WebGPU contexts. The root cause lies in insufficient bounds checking when allocating or writing to heap-allocated buffers associated with shader compilation, texture uploads, or command buffer submissions within the Dawn engine. When an attacker constructs a malicious webpage containing specially formatted JavaScript and graphics commands, they can exploit this logic error to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries. This out-of-bounds write corrupts adjacent memory structures, potentially allowing for arbitrary code execution by overwriting function pointers, object headers, or other critical control flow mechanisms within the browser process.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability is classified under CWE-120, which denotes Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input Classic Buffer Overflow. The exploitation vector relies on the user interacting with a malicious website, making it a remote attack scenario that does not require prior authentication or local access. The severity is rated as Critical by Chromium security standards because successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution within the context of the browser process. Although Chrome employs sandboxing mechanisms designed to isolate renderer processes from the underlying operating system and sensitive user data, buffer overflows in core components like Dawn pose a significant risk if they allow for escape techniques such as heap spraying combined with precise memory corruption to bypass security mitigations like ASLR or DEP/NX. The ability to execute code outside the sandbox fundamentally undermines the browser’s primary defense-in-depth strategy, potentially granting an attacker full control over the user’s device environment depending on the success of subsequent exploitation steps aimed at breaking out of the renderer process confinement.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for users browsing untrusted or compromised websites. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the browser process, which may include reading sensitive cookies, session tokens, and stored passwords if those are accessible to the renderer context. Furthermore, successful exploitation could facilitate further attacks such as drive-by downloads, keylogging, or pivoting into other networked systems if the user’s machine is part of a corporate environment with less stringent endpoint protection. The risk is amplified on mobile devices where users frequently engage in high-risk activities like online banking and shopping via browsers that may not have all security patches applied immediately due to fragmentation in update delivery mechanisms across different Android OEMs and carriers.
To mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, it is imperative for organizations and individual users to upgrade Google Chrome on Android to version 157.0.8103.38 or later as soon as possible. This patch includes fixes that enforce stricter memory safety checks within the Dawn component, ensuring that all buffer operations are validated against allocated limits before execution. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible due to operational constraints, implementing network-level controls such as web filtering proxies can help block access to known malicious domains or suspicious traffic patterns indicative of exploit attempts. Additionally, enabling Chrome’s built-in security features like Site Isolation and ensuring that hardware-based virtualization extensions are active on the device can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. Regular monitoring for browser updates through managed mobile device management solutions is also recommended to ensure timely application of critical security patches across all endpoints.