CVE-2026-87448 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/09/2026
Use after free in DevTools in Google Chrome prior to 153.0.8010.36 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Low)
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free flaw within the DevTools component of Google Chrome prior to version 153.0.8010.36 represents a critical memory management error that undermines the browser's sandboxing mechanisms. This specific class of vulnerabilities arises when software continues to reference a pointer after its associated memory has been freed and potentially reallocated for other purposes. In the context of Chrome, DevTools serves as an integrated debugging interface allowing developers to inspect and modify web pages, network requests, and performance metrics. Because this component operates with elevated privileges relative to standard webpage content to facilitate deep system interaction, a successful exploitation can allow code execution outside the restrictive sandbox environment that normally isolates untrusted web content from the underlying operating system.
The technical root cause involves improper handling of memory deallocation within the DevTools infrastructure. When an object is destroyed or removed from the DOM during debugging sessions, references to this object may persist in internal data structures if not properly nullified or updated. An attacker can craft a malicious HTML page that triggers specific sequences of events causing these dangling pointers to be accessed after the underlying memory has been returned to the heap allocator. By carefully controlling the allocation patterns following the free operation, an attacker can force the system to allocate new objects at the same memory address as the freed one. This allows the attacker to inject controlled data into what is now a valid object but was previously associated with sensitive DevTools internals, effectively hijacking control flow or overwriting critical function pointers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution without user interaction beyond visiting a crafted webpage. Although classified as low severity by Chromium security standards, the ability to escape the sandbox means that an attacker can bypass Chrome's multi-process architecture and site isolation policies. This escalation allows the malicious payload to interact directly with the host operating system, potentially leading to full device compromise, data exfiltration, installation of persistent malware, or lateral movement within a network if the compromised machine is part of a larger infrastructure. The sandbox escape transforms what might otherwise be a contained cross-site scripting scenario into a critical privilege escalation event affecting the entire endpoint.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate patching to version 153.0.8010.36 or later, where Google has addressed the memory management logic within DevTools to ensure proper invalidation of pointers upon object destruction. For environments unable to update immediately, network-level controls such as web application firewalls can be configured to detect and block requests containing payloads known to exploit use-after-free conditions in browser rendering engines. Additionally, enabling strict Content Security Policy headers helps limit the types of scripts that can execute within pages, reducing the attack surface available for crafting effective exploits. Users should also ensure their browsers are set to auto-update to receive security patches promptly as they become available from Google Chrome's update channel.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, Use After Free, which describes errors resulting from referencing memory after it has been freed. The exploitation technique leverages the ATT&CK tactic of Defense Evasion by bypassing sandbox restrictions to execute code in an unrestricted context. Understanding these mappings helps security teams prioritize remediation efforts based on standardized risk frameworks and ensures that similar vulnerabilities in other components are identified using consistent terminology and detection methodologies. Continuous monitoring for anomalous memory access patterns or unexpected privilege escalations can also aid in detecting attempts to exploit such flaws before full compromise occurs.