CVE-2026-79056 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Use after free in ServiceWorker 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: Low)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free condition within the ServiceWorker component of Google Chrome prior to version 152.0.7977.65 represents a critical memory management error that undermines the browser's sandboxing mechanisms. Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when software continues to reference a pointer after its associated memory has been freed and potentially reallocated for other purposes. In this specific context, the flaw resides in how Chrome handles resources related to ServiceWorkers, which are scripts enabling background tasks such as caching and push notifications. When an attacker crafts a malicious HTML page that triggers the premature deallocation of a ServiceWorker-related object while references to it remain active within the browser's execution environment, the application may inadvertently access invalid memory addresses or overwrite data structures with attacker-controlled values.
This technical flaw allows for potential arbitrary code execution outside the sandbox, which is a severe escalation from typical web-based attacks. Modern browsers rely heavily on multi-process architecture and sandboxes to isolate untrusted content from sensitive system resources. By exploiting this use-after-free condition, an attacker can manipulate memory layout in a way that bypasses these isolation boundaries. The ability to execute code outside the sandbox means the malicious payload is no longer confined by standard web security restrictions such as same-origin policies or restricted API access. This effectively grants the attacker control over the user's system processes, potentially leading to full compromise of the host machine depending on the privileges under which the browser process was running.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, Use After Free, and is often associated with ATT&CK techniques related to execution and privilege escalation. The attack vector requires social engineering or drive-by download tactics where a victim visits a specially crafted webpage designed to trigger the specific race condition or state transition that exposes the flaw. While Chromium classified this issue as low severity internally, likely due to mitigations such as heap hardening features like ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) and DEP (Data Execution Prevention), these defenses do not eliminate the risk entirely but rather increase the complexity of exploitation. However, given the potential for sandbox escape, the practical impact remains high for targeted attacks or when combined with other vulnerabilities to form a chain leading to arbitrary code execution.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating Google Chrome to version 152.0.7977.65 or later, where this memory management error has been corrected by ensuring proper reference counting and lifecycle management of ServiceWorker objects. Organizations should enforce automatic update policies for all endpoints running the browser to ensure timely patching against such vulnerabilities. Additionally, security teams can implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized executables from running if a sandbox escape is successfully achieved. Monitoring network traffic for unusual outbound connections following browsing sessions may also help detect post-exploitation activity resulting from successful exploitation of this flaw.