CVE-2026-16417 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/22/2026
Uninitialized Use in Skia in Google Chrome prior to 150.0.7871.182 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to leak cross-origin data via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2026
The vulnerability described represents a critical uninitialized memory access flaw within Skia, Google Chrome's graphics library, affecting versions prior to 150.0.7871.182. This issue falls under the category of CWE-457 Undefined Behavior for Non-Static Variables, where variables are used without proper initialization, potentially leading to information disclosure and remote code execution risks. The vulnerability specifically targets the renderer process in Chrome, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by attackers who have already gained compromise access to this privileged component. Skia's role as a core graphics library means that this flaw could be leveraged to manipulate memory contents and extract sensitive data from other origins within the browser's sandboxed environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious HTML page triggers an uninitialized variable condition within Skia's rendering code path. When the renderer processes crafted graphical content, it accesses memory locations that have not been properly initialized with valid data, causing the system to return whatever data was previously stored in those memory locations. This cross-origin data leakage happens because the renderer process operates with elevated privileges and can access memory spaces belonging to other origins, particularly when dealing with graphics operations that involve shared resources or memory buffers. The Chromium security severity rating of High reflects the potential for significant information disclosure and the relatively straightforward exploitation path once an attacker has compromised the renderer process.
The operational impact extends beyond simple data leakage as this vulnerability creates a potential escalation path for attackers who have already achieved initial compromise through other means such as sandbox escapes or privilege escalation techniques. The uninitialized memory access could reveal sensitive information including cached data, credentials, or even portions of other web pages that were previously rendered in the same process space. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users might be browsing multiple sites simultaneously or where sensitive data is handled within the browser context. Security researchers have noted that such flaws often serve as stepping stones to more sophisticated attacks, as they can provide attackers with additional information needed for further exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates how graphics libraries like Skia can become attack vectors when not properly secured against memory management issues.
Mitigation strategies should focus on both immediate patching and defensive programming practices within the browser ecosystem. Organizations should prioritize updating Chrome installations to version 150.0.7871.182 or later, which contains fixes addressing this uninitialized variable issue in Skia. Additionally, implementing robust memory sanitization techniques and static analysis tools can help identify similar patterns in other components of the browser architecture. The ATT&CK framework categorizes such vulnerabilities under T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter for execution and T1566 Phishing for initial access, but once the renderer is compromised, this specific flaw allows lateral movement within the browser sandbox and information extraction. Defense-in-depth approaches including process isolation, memory protection mechanisms, and regular security audits of graphics libraries can help prevent similar issues from arising in future releases. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of secure coding practices for graphics rendering components, particularly those handling untrusted input data from web pages.