CVE-2026-17855 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
Race in DevTools in Google Chrome on Mac 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: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical race condition within the Developer Tools component of Google Chrome on macOS systems, affecting versions prior to 151.0.7922.72. The flaw exists in how Chrome handles certain operations within its DevTools framework, creating a window where malicious code can exploit temporal inconsistencies between process states. Attackers who have already compromised the renderer process through other means can leverage this race condition to escalate their privileges and break out of the sandboxed environment that normally isolates browser processes from the underlying operating system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper synchronization mechanisms within Chrome's DevTools architecture. When a crafted HTML page is processed, it triggers a sequence of operations that do not properly account for concurrent access patterns between different threads or processes. This race condition creates opportunities for memory corruption or unauthorized state transitions that can be manipulated to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The Chromium security team classified this as medium severity, but the potential impact is significant given that it enables sandbox escape capabilities.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are particularly concerning because it requires only a compromised renderer process to become exploitable, which represents a relatively low barrier for attackers who have already achieved initial access through other attack vectors. Once the race condition is triggered, the attacker can potentially execute code with the privileges of the Chrome process, bypassing the sandbox protections that normally prevent such escalation. This capability fundamentally undermines the security model of modern browsers where sandboxing serves as a primary defense mechanism against malicious content.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-362, which describes race conditions in software systems where multiple threads or processes access shared resources without proper synchronization. It also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage, and T1078 for valid accounts, as the exploitation process may involve leveraging compromised accounts to execute malicious code within the browser environment. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating Chrome to version 151.0.7922.72 or later, implementing network-based protections such as content security policies, and monitoring for suspicious DevTools-related activities in browser processes.
Security teams should also consider deploying additional layers of defense including process monitoring for unauthorized DevTools operations, browser hardening configurations that restrict DevTools access, and regular vulnerability assessments to identify potential exploitation vectors. The race condition specifically affects macOS implementations and demonstrates the importance of proper synchronization mechanisms in multi-threaded applications, particularly those handling sensitive security contexts like browser sandboxing. Organizations should prioritize patch management for Chrome installations and implement automated monitoring solutions to detect anomalous behavior that may indicate attempted exploitation of this vulnerability.