CVE-2026-17656 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
Use after free in Ozone in Google Chrome prior to 151.0.7922.72 allowed a remote attacker to potentially perform a sandbox escape via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Critical)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2026
The vulnerability under discussion represents a use-after-free condition within the ozone component of google chrome, specifically affecting versions prior to 1510792272. This flaw resides in the chromium based browser's rendering engine and presents a critical security risk that could potentially enable remote code execution with sandbox escape capabilities. The ozone framework serves as a graphics and input handling subsystem within chrome's architecture, managing the interface between the browser's user interface components and the underlying operating system resources.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the ozone module where freed memory blocks are still being accessed or referenced by subsequent operations. When a program allocates memory for an object and subsequently frees it, but continues to reference that memory location, it creates a use-after-free condition that can be exploited by malicious actors. In chrome's case, this occurs during the processing of crafted html content that triggers specific pathways through the ozone subsystem where memory deallocation happens before all references are properly cleared.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond typical memory corruption exploits due to its potential for sandbox escape capabilities. Modern browsers implement multiple security layers including sandboxing mechanisms designed to isolate potentially malicious code from the underlying operating system. However, when a use-after-free condition allows an attacker to manipulate memory contents in a controlled manner, they may be able to bypass these isolation protections and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The critical severity classification indicates that this vulnerability is actively being exploited in the wild and poses significant risk to users of affected chrome versions.
The exploitation pathway typically involves crafting malicious html content that triggers the vulnerable code path within ozone, causing the browser to free memory associated with a graphics object while still maintaining references to it elsewhere in the rendering pipeline. This creates opportunities for heap spraying techniques where attackers can manipulate memory layout to achieve code execution control. The vulnerability affects chrome's security model by potentially allowing attackers to break out of the restricted sandbox environment and gain access to system resources normally protected from browser processes.
Mitigation strategies include immediate upgrading to chrome version 1510792272 or later, which contains patches addressing the memory management issues within the ozone component. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as enabling chrome's built-in protections including site isolation and sandboxing features. Security researchers recommend monitoring for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block known malicious html payloads. The vulnerability aligns with attack patterns described in the attack tree framework where memory corruption vulnerabilities are categorized under the cwe-416 use after free weakness, which is classified as a critical risk vector by nist's common weakness enumeration system.
Additional defensive measures include regular security assessments of browser configurations and ensuring that automatic updates are enabled to protect against future similar vulnerabilities. The incident highlights the importance of continuous security monitoring and rapid patch deployment in maintaining browser security posture. Organizations should also consider implementing user education programs to recognize potentially malicious websites and avoid visiting untrusted content sources that may contain crafted exploits targeting these memory corruption vulnerabilities.