CVE-2026-3540 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 03/04/2026
Inappropriate implementation in WebAudio in Google Chrome prior to 145.0.7632.159 allowed a remote attacker to perform out of bounds memory access via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-3540 represents a critical memory safety issue within Google Chrome's WebAudio implementation affecting versions prior to 145.0.7632.159. This flaw falls under the category of improper implementation within the browser's multimedia subsystem, specifically impacting how audio data is processed and managed in web applications. The WebAudio API provides developers with low-level audio processing capabilities directly within web browsers, enabling sophisticated audio manipulation through JavaScript. However, the vulnerability arises from inadequate bounds checking mechanisms that fail to properly validate memory access operations during audio processing tasks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a malicious HTML page that triggers improper memory access patterns within the WebAudio subsystem. This allows the attacker to potentially read or write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries, creating opportunities for information disclosure or arbitrary code execution. The Chromium security severity classification of High indicates the significant risk posed by this flaw, as it can be leveraged to bypass modern memory protection mechanisms such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention. The vulnerability specifically targets out-of-bounds memory access conditions that are commonly exploited in memory corruption attacks, making it particularly dangerous in the context of browser-based exploitation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to users of affected Chrome versions as it can be triggered through simple web browsing activities without requiring any special user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The attack surface is broad since WebAudio is extensively used in modern web applications for audio processing, streaming, and interactive media experiences. Security researchers have noted that such memory corruption vulnerabilities often serve as initial access vectors for more sophisticated attacks, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack mitigation framework, particularly those involving memory corruption exploits that leverage browser security boundaries.
The impact of CVE-2026-3540 extends beyond immediate exploitation capabilities to include potential long-term security implications for web application environments. Organizations relying on Chrome-based applications face significant risk as this vulnerability can be exploited across various web platforms where audio processing is implemented. Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patch deployment to the latest Chrome versions where this vulnerability has been resolved. Additionally, security teams should implement network-level monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider browser hardening measures such as disabling unnecessary audio processing features for high-risk environments. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date browser security patches and highlights the ongoing challenges in securing complex multimedia subsystems within modern web browsers. The issue also relates to CWE-129 which addresses improper validation of array indices and CWE-787 which covers out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are fundamental concerns in memory safety.