CVE-2026-7981 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 05/06/2026
Out of bounds read in Codecs in Google Chrome prior to 148.0.7778.96 allowed a remote attacker to obtain potentially sensitive information from process memory via a malicious file. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/10/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical out-of-bounds memory read flaw within the codec handling components of google chrome browser version 148.0.7778.95 and earlier. The issue stems from insufficient input validation when processing multimedia files, allowing an attacker to craft malicious files that trigger memory access violations beyond allocated buffer boundaries. The vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration category of cwe-125 out-of-bounds read, which is classified as a medium severity issue within chromium security framework. When chrome processes these malformed files through its codec libraries, the application attempts to read memory locations that are not properly validated or constrained, potentially exposing sensitive data from adjacent memory regions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the attacker can potentially extract process memory contents including cached credentials, session tokens, or other confidential information stored in memory. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in browser environments where multiple security contexts are active and memory corruption can lead to privilege escalation or further exploitation. The attack vector requires the victim to interact with a malicious file, typically through a web page or file attachment that triggers chrome's multimedia processing pipeline. The vulnerability is classified as remote because the malicious file can be delivered through web-based attack vectors, making it accessible to attackers without physical access to the target system.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with attack techniques documented in the attack pattern taxonomy under software exploitation categories, specifically targeting memory corruption flaws that can be leveraged for information gathering. The medium severity classification reflects the potential for sensitive data exposure without direct execution capabilities, though the risk increases significantly when combined with other vulnerabilities in the same exploitation chain. Organizations should prioritize patch management for this vulnerability as it represents a potential entry point for more sophisticated attacks, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted multimedia content. The fix implemented in chrome version 148.0.7778.96 includes enhanced bounds checking and input validation within the codec processing components to prevent unauthorized memory access patterns.
The remediation strategy involves immediate deployment of the patched chrome version and implementation of additional security controls such as content filtering and user education regarding unsafe file attachments. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and endpoint detection systems that can identify suspicious file processing activities. Organizations may also consider implementing browser hardening measures including sandboxing enhancements and restricted file type handling to reduce the attack surface. This vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing challenges in multimedia processing security where complex codec libraries present numerous potential entry points for memory corruption attacks, requiring continuous vigilance and proactive security measures to protect against evolving threats in the browser security landscape.