CVE-2026-79187 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Use after free in WebRTC 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: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free flaw within the WebRTC component of Google Chrome prior to version 152.0.7977.65 represents a critical memory management error that can be leveraged by remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution. This specific class of vulnerabilities occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior that often results in the corruption of heap data structures or the execution of malicious instructions if an attacker can control the content written into the reclaimed memory space. In the context of WebRTC, which handles real-time communication protocols including audio, video, and data streams, such a flaw is particularly dangerous because it resides within a complex subsystem that processes untrusted media payloads from remote peers.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-416, Use After Free. The operational mechanism typically involves an object being allocated on the heap and subsequently freed due to normal application logic or error handling paths. However, if there remains a dangling reference to that memory location within another part of the WebRTC stack, subsequent operations may write new data into this now-vulnerable region. If an attacker can craft specific HTML pages containing malicious JavaScript or manipulated media streams, they can influence what data is written back into this freed memory block. This allows for precise control over heap contents, which can be exploited to overwrite function pointers or object vtables, thereby redirecting the program's execution flow to shellcode injected by the attacker.
The impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution via a crafted HTML page. An attacker does not need physical access or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website that hosts the exploit payload. By embedding specific WebRTC signaling data or malformed media packets within an HTML document, the attacker can trigger the use-after-free condition when Chrome attempts to process these inputs. This leads to arbitrary code execution inside the browser's sandbox environment. While modern browsers employ robust sandboxing mechanisms designed to limit the damage of such exploits by restricting access to system resources and sensitive files, a successful exploitation could still allow an attacker to escape the sandbox in some scenarios or perform significant malicious actions within the restricted context, such as stealing cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive user data stored locally.
This type of attack aligns with several techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to initial access and execution via web-based vectors. The use of a crafted HTML page corresponds to tactics involving drive-by downloads or malicious content delivery where the victim's browser is tricked into executing hostile code under the guise of legitimate web browsing activities. The specific exploitation technique leverages memory corruption primitives, which are foundational for many advanced persistent threats seeking to establish footholds in corporate networks through compromised employee workstations.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating Google Chrome to version 152.0.7977.65 or later, where the underlying memory management issues within WebRTC have been addressed by developers who likely implemented stricter checks on pointer validity and lifecycle management for objects involved in media processing. Additionally, users should ensure that their browsers are configured to automatically update to prevent exposure to known vulnerabilities until patches can be applied manually if automatic updates are disabled. Security teams should also monitor network traffic for unusual WebRTC connections or excessive memory allocation patterns that might indicate an ongoing exploitation attempt against unpatched systems. Implementing strict content security policies and disabling unnecessary browser features like WebRTC in environments where real-time communication is not required can further reduce the attack surface available to potential adversaries exploiting this flaw.