CVE-2026-79097 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Use after free in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free condition within the V8 JavaScript engine of Google Chrome prior to version 152.0.7977.65 represents a critical memory management flaw that compromises the integrity of the browser's execution environment. This specific type of error occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed, leading to undefined behavior that can be exploited by malicious actors. In the context of web browsers, V8 serves as the core engine responsible for parsing and executing JavaScript code found in web pages. When an attacker crafts a specific HTML page containing malicious scripts designed to trigger this race condition or improper memory handling, they can manipulate how the browser manages object lifecycles within the heap space allocated by V8.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe because it allows for arbitrary code execution inside the sandboxed environment where Chrome typically restricts access to system resources. Modern browsers employ a multi-process architecture with strict sandboxes to limit the damage caused by successful exploits, but use-after-free bugs often provide attackers with techniques such as heap spraying or type confusion to bypass these protections. By carefully controlling memory allocation and deallocation patterns through crafted JavaScript, an attacker can achieve arbitrary read and write primitives. These primitives are essential for constructing a reliable exploit chain that ultimately leads to the execution of shellcode on the victim's machine, effectively breaking out of the browser sandbox and gaining control over the underlying operating system processes.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which describes Use After Free errors resulting from improper memory management practices. The exploitation technique leverages ATT&CK tactic T1059, specifically Command and Scripting Interpreter subcategories like JavaScript or ECMAScript, to deliver the initial payload within the browser context. Furthermore, the progression toward arbitrary code execution typically involves techniques categorized under privilege escalation or defense evasion as defined by MITRE ATT&CK frameworks, such as process injection or API hooking once the sandbox boundary is breached. The Chromium security team has classified this issue with a medium severity rating, reflecting its potential for remote exploitation while acknowledging that successful attacks may require specific user interactions or complex exploit development conditions to reliably achieve code execution in all scenarios.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating Google Chrome to version 152.0.7977.65 or later, where the underlying memory management logic has been corrected to prevent dangling pointers from being accessed after deallocation. Organizations should ensure that automatic update mechanisms are enabled for all endpoints running this browser variant to minimize exposure windows. Additionally, security teams can implement application control policies such as Microsoft AppLocker or Windows Defender Application Control to restrict the execution of untrusted scripts and binaries, thereby reducing the likelihood of successful exploitation even if a vulnerability is present. Network-level defenses including web proxies with deep packet inspection capabilities may also help in detecting and blocking known exploit patterns associated with this specific memory corruption technique before they reach end-user browsers.