CVE-2026-76035 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2026
Inappropriate implementation in Media in Google Chrome on on Mac prior to 151.0.7922.169 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2026
The vulnerability identified as an inappropriate implementation within the media subsystem of Google Chrome on macOS represents a critical breach in browser isolation mechanisms, specifically affecting versions prior to 151.0.7922.169. This flaw stems from improper handling or validation logic embedded deep within the multimedia processing pipeline, which is responsible for decoding and rendering various audio and video formats. In modern web browsers like Chrome, different components operate in separate sandboxed processes to limit the damage of a successful exploit. However, when an attacker crafts a malicious HTML page that triggers this specific media-related code path, they can bypass these security boundaries. The core technical flaw involves a failure to properly restrict memory access or execute instructions within the context of privileged system calls associated with hardware-accelerated decoding or internal codec libraries on macOS. This misconfiguration allows data intended for rendering purposes to be interpreted as executable code by the underlying operating system kernel or higher-privilege processes, leading to arbitrary code execution outside the confines of the browser sandbox.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-94 Improper Control of Generation of Code (Code Injection) and potentially CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read if memory corruption is involved in the exploitation chain. The attack vector relies on social engineering or drive-by download tactics where a user visits a malicious website containing specially crafted media elements, such as malformed MP4 files, WebM containers, or specific JavaScript interactions with HTML5 video tags that trigger the vulnerable code path. Because the exploit occurs within the context of browser processes that may have elevated privileges due to hardware acceleration features on macOS, the attacker gains the ability to execute arbitrary commands with the same permissions as the current user. This effectively neutralizes one of the most important defense-in-depth layers provided by modern web browsers: process isolation and sandboxing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, classified under Chromium security severity as High due to its potential for remote code execution without user interaction beyond visiting a webpage. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can install malware, steal sensitive data such as cookies, session tokens, or saved passwords, establish persistence on the victim's machine, and use the compromised system as part of a botnet. The ability to execute code outside the sandbox means that traditional browser-based defenses like Content Security Policy (CSP) are rendered ineffective against this specific attack vector because the execution context has already escaped the restricted environment intended by those policies. This poses a significant risk to enterprise environments and individual users alike, particularly given the prevalence of media-rich content on modern websites which increases the likelihood of exposure.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate patching through updating Google Chrome to version 151.0.7922.169 or later, where these implementation flaws have been addressed by developers through stricter input validation and enhanced sandbox enforcement mechanisms. For organizations unable to update immediately due to compatibility concerns, network-level filtering solutions such as Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) can be configured to detect and block requests containing suspicious media payloads known to trigger this vulnerability. Additionally, disabling hardware acceleration in Chrome settings may reduce the attack surface by forcing software-based decoding paths that might not contain the same vulnerable code sequences, although this comes at the cost of performance. Security awareness training for users is also recommended to discourage visiting untrusted websites or downloading unknown media files from unverified sources until patches are applied.
In terms of threat intelligence frameworks, this vulnerability maps to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1205.008 Supply Chain Compromise: Web Frameworks if the flaw originated in a third-party library used by Chrome, though it is more accurately described under T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter or T1064 Scripting due to the nature of arbitrary code execution via crafted web content. The exploitation path typically follows the kill chain stages of delivery, weaponization, and exploitation, leading directly to installation if further payloads are delivered post-exploitation. Continuous monitoring for anomalous process creation events originating from browser processes can aid in detecting active attempts to exploit this flaw on endpoints where patching is delayed. Regular vulnerability scanning and automated deployment tools should be utilized to ensure timely remediation of such high-severity issues across all managed devices running macOS.