CVE-2026-16423
Summary
by MITRE • 07/22/2026
Use after free in UI in Google Chrome prior to 150.0.7871.182 allowed a remote attacker who convinced a user to engage in specific UI gestures to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition within the user interface component of Google Chrome browser prior to version 150.0.7871.182, classified as a high severity issue by Chromium security standards. The flaw occurs when the browser processes crafted HTML content that triggers specific UI interactions, creating a scenario where memory previously allocated to UI objects is accessed after it has been freed, leading to potential heap corruption. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of Use After Free, which is a well-documented memory safety issue that has been exploited in numerous high-profile security incidents. The attack vector requires social engineering to convince a user to perform specific UI gestures while viewing a malicious webpage, making it particularly dangerous as it bridges the gap between web-based exploitation and user interaction.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves Chrome's rendering engine executing HTML content that causes the UI subsystem to allocate memory for user interface elements, which are then freed during normal operation. However, under specific conditions involving crafted HTML code, the browser's UI handling logic fails to properly track the lifecycle of these objects, allowing malicious code to manipulate the freed memory location. When a user performs the targeted UI gestures while the compromised page is active, the browser attempts to access this already-freed memory region, resulting in unpredictable behavior that can be leveraged for heap corruption. This memory corruption opens possibilities for arbitrary code execution, as attackers can overwrite critical memory structures or inject malicious payloads into the freed memory space.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple browser instability, representing a significant threat to user security and system integrity. Successful exploitation could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Chrome process, potentially leading to full system compromise. The requirement for specific UI gestures limits the attack surface compared to purely web-based vulnerabilities, but it does not eliminate the risk since modern browsers are frequently used for accessing untrusted content. Users who visit malicious websites and inadvertently perform the required UI interactions could have their systems compromised without any additional malicious software installation, making this a particularly concerning vulnerability for enterprise environments where users may encounter unexpected or malicious content.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability focus on immediate remediation through browser updates to version 150.0.7871.182 or later, which contains the necessary memory safety fixes and proper object lifecycle management. System administrators should prioritize deploying these updates across all managed devices and implement automated update mechanisms where possible. Additional protective measures include enabling Chrome's built-in security features such as sandboxing, site isolation, and content security policies, while also considering network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malicious HTML content. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management in complex browser architectures and reinforces the necessity of continuous security auditing of UI components, which are often less rigorously tested than core rendering engines. Organizations should also implement user education programs to raise awareness about social engineering attacks and the risks associated with visiting untrusted websites, as the successful exploitation requires user interaction beyond simple page loading.