CVE-2026-4441 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 03/20/2026
Use after free in Base in Google Chrome prior to 146.0.7680.153 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Critical)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition in the base component of Google Chrome affecting versions prior to 146.0.7680.153. The flaw manifests within the browser's memory management system where a freed memory block is still being accessed or referenced by subsequent operations. Such conditions create exploitable vectors for remote code execution as attackers can manipulate the heap state to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process. The vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free errors that occur when memory is accessed after it has been freed, creating opportunities for memory corruption attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a malicious HTML page that triggers the specific code path leading to the use-after-free condition. When Chrome processes such a page, the base component allocates memory for certain objects and subsequently frees that memory while still maintaining references to it. This creates a window where an attacker can overwrite the freed memory with malicious data, potentially allowing them to control program execution flow. The Chromium security severity classification as Critical indicates that this vulnerability has a high probability of being successfully exploited and can result in complete system compromise when executed against vulnerable targets.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution as it represents a fundamental breakdown in Chrome's memory safety mechanisms. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability can bypass modern security protections including address space layout randomization and data execution prevention. The heap corruption resulting from this use-after-free condition can enable privilege escalation attacks, allowing remote adversaries to gain unauthorized access to system resources, steal sensitive information, or establish persistent backdoors. This vulnerability affects all users of affected Chrome versions regardless of their security awareness or system configuration, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where browser updates may be delayed.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate deployment of Chrome version 146.0.7680.153 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the heap corruption issue. Organizations should implement automated update mechanisms to ensure all systems receive security patches promptly, as the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without user interaction. Network administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block access to known malicious domains while waiting for patch deployment. Additionally, browser hardening measures such as enabling sandboxing, disabling unnecessary browser features, and implementing strict content security policies can reduce the attack surface and limit potential exploitation success. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify similar memory corruption issues that could exist in other browser components or third-party libraries.