CVE-2026-17722 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
Object lifecycle issue in WebView 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 object lifecycle management flaw within the WebView component of Google Chrome on Android systems, specifically affecting versions prior to 151.0.7922.72. The issue stems from improper handling of object references and memory management during the rendering process, creating a potential pathway for privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability is classified as high severity by Chromium security standards due to its potential to enable sandbox escape when an attacker has already compromised the renderer process through other means.
The technical flaw manifests in how WebView manages object lifecycles during HTML page rendering operations. When processing maliciously crafted HTML content, the WebView component fails to properly validate or manage object references, leading to situations where objects may be accessed after they have been destroyed or deallocated. This memory management error creates a scenario where attacker-controlled data can manipulate the object state in ways that bypass normal security boundaries. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages an existing compromise, meaning that even if an attacker has already gained access to the renderer process through another attack vector, they can use this flaw to escalate privileges further and potentially break out of the sandboxed environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of WebView-based applications on Android. When an attacker achieves a sandbox escape through this mechanism, they gain access to sensitive system resources that should normally be restricted to the isolated renderer process. This could potentially allow for full system compromise, data exfiltration, or persistence mechanisms within applications that rely on WebView components. The vulnerability affects not just the Chrome browser itself but any Android application that utilizes WebView for rendering web content, creating a wide attack surface across numerous applications and services.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to 151.0.7922.72 or later, which contain fixes addressing the object lifecycle management issues. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring for suspicious WebView activity and consider temporary restrictions on potentially dangerous HTML content processing. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-415, which describes improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation operations, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script-based attacks that could leverage such memory corruption vulnerabilities. Security teams should also review their application security posture to ensure that WebView components are properly configured with appropriate security policies and that applications do not expose unnecessary privileges to web content rendering.
The root cause of this issue demonstrates the complexity of managing object lifecycle in modern browser environments where multiple processes interact through shared memory spaces. The vulnerability highlights the importance of rigorous memory management practices in security-critical components and reinforces the need for comprehensive testing of edge cases in object reference handling. This flaw serves as a reminder that even when attackers have achieved initial compromise, proper defensive measures within application architecture can prevent further escalation attacks. The fix implemented by Google addresses the core memory management issue while maintaining backward compatibility with legitimate web content rendering operations.