CVE-2026-87455 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/09/2026
Use after free in Aura in Google Chrome prior to 153.0.8010.36 allowed a remote attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free flaw within the Aura component of Google Chrome represents a critical memory management error that compromises the integrity of the browser's rendering engine. Aura serves as the windowing and input handling system in Chromium-based browsers, managing how visual elements are composed and interacted with by users. When an application allocates memory for an object but subsequently frees it while retaining one or more pointers to that same block of memory, a use-after-free condition occurs. In this specific instance, prior to version 153.0.8010.36, the Aura subsystem failed to properly invalidate these dangling pointers after deallocation. This oversight allows an attacker who controls the state of the browser's internal data structures to manipulate how freed memory is reused by subsequent operations.
The technical mechanism behind this exploitation involves a crafted HTML page that triggers specific rendering or input events within Chrome. By carefully constructing web content, an adversary can force the browser to free certain Aura-managed objects while maintaining references to them through other active components of the user interface. When the application later attempts to access these freed memory regions under the guise of normal operation, it reads from or writes to arbitrary locations in the process's address space. This behavior violates the fundamental principle of safe memory management and creates a pathway for code execution because the attacker can often control the content that is written into the reused memory block through further crafted inputs or by exploiting race conditions during allocation cycles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential to bypass Chrome's sandboxing mechanisms. Modern browsers rely heavily on process isolation, where untrusted web content runs in a restricted environment with limited privileges. However, use-after-free vulnerabilities often allow attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution within the browser process itself. If the exploit successfully manipulates memory structures related to privileged components or if it can escalate from the sandboxed renderer process to the higher-privilege browser main process, an attacker could execute arbitrary commands on the victim's system. This effectively neutralizes the security boundaries designed to protect users from malicious web content, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or installation of persistent malware.
This flaw is categorized under CWE-416, which defines use-after-free errors as a distinct class of software weaknesses resulting in unexpected behavior and potential exploitation. From an offensive security perspective, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to execution via browser-based attacks, specifically leveraging client-side scripting or HTML manipulation to trigger the underlying memory corruption. The Chromium project has classified this issue with a medium severity rating, reflecting its complexity and the specific conditions required for successful exploitation, yet it remains dangerous due to the high value of web browsers as an attack vector in modern cyber operations.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating Google Chrome to version 153.0.8010.36 or later, where these memory management checks have been reinforced and dangling pointers are properly nullified upon deallocation. For organizations unable to patch immediately, network-level controls such as web filtering proxies can be configured to block access to known malicious domains hosting exploit kits that target this specific vulnerability. Additionally, enabling Chrome's built-in sandboxing features ensures that even if an exploitation attempt occurs, the potential damage is contained within a restricted process context, reducing the likelihood of full system compromise. Regular security awareness training for users regarding suspicious links and attachments also serves as a vital layer of defense against social engineering tactics used to deliver such crafted HTML pages.