CVE-2026-78904 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Type confusion in ANGLE in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as a type confusion flaw within the ANGLE graphics library, which is integrated into Google Chrome prior to version 152.0.7977.65, represents a critical memory safety issue that undermines the browser's sandboxing mechanisms. Type confusion vulnerabilities occur when an application incorrectly interprets data of one type as another, leading to undefined behavior during execution. In this specific instance, the flaw resides in how ANGLE handles object types and their associated memory layouts. When a remote attacker crafts a malicious HTML page containing specially constructed JavaScript or WebGL content, they can trigger conditions where the browser's rendering engine misidentifies an object's type. This misidentification allows for improper access to memory regions that should be protected by strict isolation boundaries, effectively bypassing the sandbox environment designed to contain potential exploits within limited privileges.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-843, which classifies errors related to accessing data using incorrect types. The exploitation of such vulnerabilities typically involves manipulating heap structures or object headers so that subsequent operations perform invalid memory reads or writes based on the false assumption about the data's structure. Because ANGLE serves as a translation layer between high-level graphics APIs like WebGL and low-level native graphics drivers, any corruption in its internal state can have cascading effects across the browser process. The attacker leverages this confusion to execute arbitrary code outside the restricted sandbox context, gaining higher privileges than intended by the security model. This capability transforms what might otherwise be a contained rendering error into a full remote code execution scenario, allowing for complete compromise of the user's system if combined with other techniques such as information disclosure or further exploitation steps.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote exploitation via standard web browsing activities. An attacker does not need physical access or prior authentication; they merely need to lure a victim into visiting a malicious webpage hosted on a server under their control. Once the page loads, the crafted content triggers the type confusion within ANGLE, leading to out-of-bounds memory operations and ultimately arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the browser process. This breaches the fundamental security principle of least privilege enforced by Chrome's sandbox architecture. The severity rating of High from Chromium reflects the ease with which this state can be achieved through web technologies and the significant consequences resulting from bypassing these protections. Users running affected versions are at immediate risk when interacting with untrusted content, including advertisements or embedded media on legitimate sites that may have been compromised to serve such payloads.
To mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, it is imperative for users to update Google Chrome to version 152.0.7977.65 or later immediately upon availability. This patch includes corrections within the ANGLE component and related rendering pipelines to enforce stricter type checking and memory validation before processing graphics commands. Additionally, organizations should ensure that their endpoint detection and response systems are updated with signatures capable of detecting exploitation attempts targeting this specific flaw in Chromium-based browsers. Security teams should also review browser policies to restrict execution of untrusted scripts where possible and enable automatic updates to minimize the window of exposure. Monitoring for anomalous behavior in graphics processing units or unusual memory allocation patterns can provide early indicators of attempted exploitation, although patching remains the primary defense against this class of type confusion vulnerabilities.