CVE-2026-4442 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 03/20/2026
Heap buffer overflow in CSS 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: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2026
This heap buffer overflow vulnerability exists within the Cascading Style Sheets implementation of google chrome browser version prior to 146.0.7680.153. The flaw occurs when processing malformed css properties within html documents, specifically during memory allocation and handling of dynamic content. The vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking mechanisms within the browser's rendering engine that processes css stylesheets. When chrome encounters crafted html content containing malicious css parameters, it fails to properly validate input boundaries before writing data to allocated heap memory regions. This oversight creates a condition where attacker controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions. The vulnerability is classified as high severity by chromium security team due to its remote exploitability and potential for privilege escalation.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the browser's css parser encountering malformed input that triggers improper memory management during style processing. When chrome attempts to allocate heap space for css properties, it calculates required memory size based on parsed input without sufficient validation of input parameters. This allows attackers to craft html pages containing oversized css values or malformed property definitions that exceed allocated buffer boundaries. The heap corruption occurs when the parser writes data beyond the intended memory allocation, potentially overwriting critical data structures or function pointers. This type of vulnerability maps directly to common weakness enumeration 129 which describes improper validation of critical bounds in memory operations, and aligns with attack technique t1059 in the attack pattern taxonomy where adversaries leverage code injection to execute malicious payloads through web browser interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple browser exploitation as it represents a critical entry point for advanced persistent threats targeting chrome users. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw through malicious websites, email attachments, or compromised web services without requiring user interaction beyond visiting the malicious page. The exploitation chain typically involves crafting a specific html document with malicious css properties that trigger the buffer overflow during normal browsing operations. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process, potentially leading to full system compromise. This vulnerability particularly affects users who frequently browse untrusted websites or interact with web content from unknown sources, making it a significant concern for enterprise environments and individual users alike. The high severity classification indicates that exploitation is likely to succeed without complex prerequisites and that the impact could be severe, potentially enabling data theft, system control, or further network infiltration activities. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected chrome versions to mitigate this risk and prevent potential exploitation by threat actors.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of chrome version 146.0.7680.153 or later which contains the necessary memory validation patches. Network administrators should implement web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block suspicious css content, while security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts through endpoint detection and response systems. Browser hardening measures including sandboxing, strict content security policies, and regular security updates should be enforced across all user environments. Additionally, user education regarding safe browsing practices and avoidance of untrusted websites remains crucial in reducing exploitation success rates for such remote code execution vulnerabilities.