CVE-2026-17663 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
Insufficient validation of untrusted input in GPU in Google Chrome on Android prior to 151.0.7922.72 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to potentially perform a sandbox escape via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical sandbox escape vector within Google Chrome's GPU subsystem on Android platforms, specifically affecting versions prior to 151.0.7922.72. The flaw stems from inadequate validation of untrusted input flowing through the GPU processing pipeline, creating a pathway for remote attackers who have already compromised the renderer process to potentially break out of the sandboxed environment. The vulnerability manifests when a malicious HTML page is loaded, exploiting weaknesses in how GPU commands and data are processed and validated within Chrome's architecture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the GPU process's insufficient validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize input received from untrusted sources. When a renderer process is compromised, an attacker can leverage this weakness to craft specific GPU commands or memory operations that bypass normal security boundaries. This represents a classic case of privilege escalation through inadequate input validation, where the GPU subsystem fails to enforce proper access controls and data integrity checks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental weakness in software security design.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe risk for Android users of affected Chrome versions, as it transforms a compromised renderer process into a potential gateway for full system compromise. The attack scenario begins with initial exploitation of a renderer vulnerability, followed by the use of this GPU input validation flaw to escape the sandbox and gain elevated privileges. This progression follows ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for process injection and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, making it particularly dangerous in threat actor attack chains where initial compromise is already achieved.
The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to access sensitive user data, perform arbitrary file operations, or establish persistent access to the device. The GPU subsystem's role in handling multimedia processing and graphics acceleration makes it a valuable target for attackers seeking to bypass Chrome's security model, which relies heavily on process isolation and sandboxing mechanisms. This vulnerability demonstrates how components traditionally considered less critical from a security perspective can become attack vectors when proper input validation is absent.
Organizations and users should immediately update to Chrome version 151.0.7922.72 or later to mitigate this risk, as the fix addresses the core input validation issues in the GPU processing pipeline. Additionally, implementing network-level protections such as content filtering and monitoring for suspicious HTML content can provide additional defense in depth. The vulnerability highlights the importance of comprehensive security testing across all subsystems including GPU drivers and processing components, rather than focusing solely on traditional browser attack surfaces. Regular security updates and patch management programs become critical to protecting against such sophisticated attack vectors that exploit subtle weaknesses in complex software architectures.