CVE-2026-78950 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2026
Integer overflow in WebRTC in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code inside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Low)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2026
The vulnerability identified as an integer overflow within the WebRTC component of Google Chrome prior to version 152.0.7977.65 represents a critical memory safety flaw that can be leveraged by remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution. This specific class of error occurs when arithmetic operations result in a value that exceeds the maximum capacity of the allocated data type, leading to incorrect calculations regarding buffer sizes or array indices. In the context of WebRTC, which handles real-time audio and video communication, such miscalculations can cause the browser to allocate insufficient memory for incoming media streams or internal processing buffers. When an attacker crafts a malicious HTML page that triggers this overflow during the parsing or rendering of specific multimedia data structures, the resulting heap corruption allows for out-of-bounds writes into adjacent memory regions.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-190, which defines integer overflow or wraparound vulnerabilities. The exploitation mechanism typically involves manipulating input values to cause an arithmetic operation to wrap around from a large positive number to a small negative or zero value due to the fixed bit-width of the variable type. This discrepancy leads the application to believe that a smaller buffer is sufficient for storing data, while in reality, a much larger amount of data is being written. Consequently, this results in heap-based buffer overflow conditions where attacker-controlled data overwrites critical memory structures such as function pointers or object headers within the browser's sandboxed environment. Although Chromium classified the security severity as low, likely due to mitigating factors present in earlier versions or specific exploitation complexities, the potential impact remains severe if successfully exploited without additional protections.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant because it facilitates remote code execution through a simple user interaction vector involving a crafted web page. An attacker does not need direct access to the victim's system but merely needs to lure them into visiting a malicious website or clicking on a link containing the exploit payload. Once executed within the browser sandbox, the compromised process can attempt to escape the confinement of the renderer process to gain higher privileges on the host operating system. This escalation path is particularly dangerous as it bypasses many standard security controls that rely on isolating web content from sensitive system resources. The ability to execute arbitrary code means an attacker could install malware, steal credentials, or use the compromised machine for further attacks in a botnet.
This vulnerability maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers Exploitation for Client Execution, specifically within the context of web browsers and media components. The attack vector relies on social engineering elements such as phishing or drive-by downloads where the victim is tricked into interacting with malicious content that triggers the underlying code execution flaw. Defense mechanisms like sandboxing are designed to limit the blast radius of such exploits, but successful exploitation indicates a potential weakness in these isolation boundaries or an opportunity for sandbox escape techniques not fully mitigated by existing patches.
To mitigate this risk, organizations and users must ensure that Google Chrome is updated to version 152.0.7977.65 or later immediately upon availability. This update contains the necessary code changes to validate input values before performing arithmetic operations on buffer sizes, thereby preventing the integer overflow condition from occurring in the first place. Additionally, implementing strict content security policies and disabling unnecessary WebRTC features can reduce the attack surface available to potential adversaries. Security teams should also monitor for indicators of compromise associated with browser-based exploits, such as unusual network connections or process injections originating from Chrome processes, to detect any successful attempts at exploitation before full patching is completed across all endpoints.