CVE-2026-17699 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
Use after free in Views in Google Chrome prior to 151.0.7922.72 allowed a local attacker to potentially perform a sandbox escape via a malicious file. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition in the Views framework of Google Chrome, specifically affecting versions prior to 151.0.7922.72. The flaw exists within the browser's user interface rendering system where memory management errors occur when handling UI components, creating opportunities for malicious exploitation. The technical implementation involves improper memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to freed memory regions, which violates fundamental security principles of memory safety and can lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the browser process.
The vulnerability operates through a local attacker who could craft a malicious file designed to trigger the use-after-free condition during normal browser operation. When Chrome processes this crafted file through its Views rendering pipeline, the system attempts to access memory that has already been deallocated, potentially allowing an attacker to manipulate memory contents or redirect execution flow. This type of flaw falls under CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free vulnerabilities in software systems, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited to bypass modern security mitigations such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides a pathway for sandbox escape attacks that could allow attackers to break out of Chrome's isolated rendering environment. According to ATT&CK framework classification, this represents a sandbox evasion technique through memory corruption vulnerabilities, specifically mapping to T1055.012 which covers exploitation for privilege escalation. The Chromium security severity rating of High indicates the potential for remote code execution and significant system compromise when exploited in the wild.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to prevent exploitation attempts, while organizations can implement additional protective measures such as enabling Chrome's built-in security features including site isolation and sandboxing mechanisms. Network-level protections through web application firewalls and content filtering systems can also help detect and block malicious file delivery attempts targeting this vulnerability. Security monitoring should focus on unusual memory access patterns and potential exploitation attempts that may indicate use-after-free exploitation activities within browser processes, particularly during file processing operations.
The incident highlights the critical importance of memory safety in modern browser architectures where complex UI frameworks like Views must maintain strict memory management protocols to prevent such vulnerabilities from being exploited by malicious actors. Regular security audits and automated memory checking tools should be implemented to identify similar issues before they can be weaponized in real-world attacks, particularly given the widespread adoption of Chrome as a primary browsing platform across enterprise environments.