CVE-2026-79210 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Use after free in Audio in Google Chrome on on Android prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to execute arbitrary code outside 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 described is a use-after-free error located within the audio processing subsystem of Google Chrome on Android, specifically affecting versions prior to 152.0.7977.65. This class of memory corruption flaw arises when software continues to use a pointer after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior that can be exploited by an attacker. In this specific instance, the vulnerability is categorized with a medium security severity in Chromium’s internal tracking system, indicating a significant risk but potentially limited exploitability compared to critical or high-severity issues. The core technical flaw involves improper management of memory allocation and deallocation within the audio handling components, where references to previously released memory blocks are retained and subsequently accessed by the application logic.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is particularly severe due to its potential for remote code execution outside the browser’s sandbox environment. For an attacker to exploit this flaw, they must first compromise the renderer process, which typically isolates web content from sensitive system resources. However, once inside the renderer, a crafted HTML page can trigger the use-after-free condition within the audio module. This allows the malicious payload to escape the restrictive security boundaries of the sandbox and execute arbitrary code with higher privileges on the underlying Android operating system. Such an escalation of privilege enables full control over the device, potentially leading to data theft, installation of persistent malware, or further lateral movement within a network if the device is connected.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-416, which defines use-after-free errors as a critical category of memory safety issues. These flaws are prevalent in complex software systems like web browsers where dynamic memory management is intensive and error-prone. The exploitation path described also maps to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under techniques related to process injection or escape from sandbox environments. Attackers often leverage such vulnerabilities as part of a broader attack chain that begins with social engineering or drive-by downloads to deliver the crafted HTML payload, followed by memory corruption to break out of isolation mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating Google Chrome on Android to version 152.0.7977.65 or later, where this specific use-after-free condition has been addressed through improved memory management practices and stricter validation checks before dereferencing pointers. Users should ensure automatic updates are enabled to receive security patches promptly. Additionally, employing browser hardening techniques such as disabling JavaScript for untrusted sites can reduce the attack surface by preventing the execution of crafted HTML pages that might trigger these vulnerabilities. Security teams monitoring Android devices in enterprise environments should prioritize patching this specific version range to prevent potential remote code execution attacks targeting the audio subsystem.