CVE-2026-17718 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
Use after free in ANGLE 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: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition in the ANGLE graphics library component that forms part of Google Chrome's rendering engine. The flaw exists within the handling of graphics resources where memory allocated for graphics objects is freed while references to those objects remain active, creating a scenario where subsequent operations can access already deallocated memory regions. This particular vulnerability affects Chrome versions prior to 151.0.7922.72 and has been classified with a high severity rating by Chromium security teams due to its potential for remote code execution.
The technical implementation of this use-after-free occurs during the processing of HTML content that utilizes WebGL or Direct3D graphics APIs through ANGLE's translation layer. When Chrome encounters graphics-intensive web content, it delegates rendering operations to ANGLE which translates these operations into underlying graphics API calls. The vulnerability manifests when certain WebGL contexts are manipulated in specific ways, causing the graphics memory management system to release resources before all references to them have been properly cleared. This creates a window where malicious code could potentially overwrite freed memory with attacker-controlled data, leading to arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond standard privilege escalation as it specifically targets Chrome's sandboxing mechanisms that are designed to isolate web content from the underlying operating system. A remote attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially bypass the browser sandbox and execute code with the privileges of the user running Chrome. This represents a significant escalation from typical web-based attacks since it allows for complete system compromise without requiring local user interaction or elevated privileges. The attack vector requires only a crafted HTML page delivered through standard web browsing channels, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free errors in memory management, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for remote code execution through browser exploits. The exploitability of this issue is enhanced by the fact that ANGLE is widely used across different operating systems and graphics configurations, providing multiple potential attack surfaces. Security researchers have noted that such vulnerabilities in graphics libraries are particularly challenging to detect and patch because they involve complex interactions between high-level web APIs and low-level graphics drivers, creating numerous potential entry points for exploitation.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of Chrome installations to version 151.0.7922.72 or later, as this vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild. Network administrators should consider implementing additional security controls such as Content Security Policy headers and sandboxing configurations that limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Browser vendors and security teams should monitor for related vulnerabilities in similar graphics libraries and maintain updated threat intelligence feeds to detect potential variants or related exploits targeting the same underlying memory management issues.