CVE-2026-87464 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/09/2026
Use after free in WebGL 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: Critical)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-9718 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the WebGL implementation of Google Chrome prior to version 153.0.8010.36. This issue is classified technically as an out-of-bounds write, which in this specific context manifests through use-after-free semantics. The root cause lies in improper management of object lifecycles during the rendering pipeline operations handled by WebGL. When a remote attacker crafts a malicious HTML page that triggers specific WebGL state transitions or resource deallocations, the browser fails to properly invalidate references to memory buffers that have already been freed. This lapse allows the application to continue accessing and writing to memory regions that are no longer allocated to the intended object, leading to arbitrary code execution capabilities for an adversary who can induce this condition through a web page visit.
From a technical perspective, WebGL relies heavily on GPU-accelerated rendering contexts where resources such as textures, buffers, and shaders are managed dynamically. The vulnerability arises when these resources are released while still being referenced by active rendering commands or asynchronous callbacks. This creates a window of opportunity for an attacker to manipulate the heap layout through subsequent allocations, potentially overwriting critical data structures like function pointers or object vtables. By carefully controlling the contents written into the freed memory region, an attacker can achieve arbitrary write primitives, which are then leveraged to bypass browser sandboxing mechanisms and execute native code on the victim's system. This type of exploitation is particularly dangerous because it targets the core rendering engine, making it difficult for standard security controls to detect without deep inspection capabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution with high privileges relative to the browser process. An attacker does not need physical access or user interaction beyond visiting a maliciously crafted website hosted on a server under their control. The attack vector is classified as network-based, meaning it can be delivered via phishing emails, compromised websites, or drive-by downloads. Once exploited, the adversary gains full control over the affected system within the context of the browser process, which often has access to user files, cookies, and session tokens. This compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability for all applications running under that profile. The Chromium security severity rating of Critical underscores the urgency of addressing this flaw due to its ease of exploitation and high impact on end-user systems.
In terms of industry standards, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, Use After Free, which describes situations where a program continues to use a pointer after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior that can be exploited for code execution. Additionally, the attack technique maps closely to MITRE ATT&CK Tactic TA0002 Execution and specifically Technique T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, as well as potential lateral movement vectors if combined with other vulnerabilities. The exploitation of browser rendering engines is a common theme in advanced persistent threat campaigns targeting high-value individuals or organizations seeking initial access through social engineering or compromised ad networks.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate patching to the latest stable version of Google Chrome, which includes fixes for this memory management issue. Administrators should ensure that automatic updates are enabled to receive security patches promptly as they become available. For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, network-level controls such as web filtering proxies can be configured to block access to known malicious domains or restrict WebGL functionality entirely if it is not required by business operations. Additionally, deploying endpoint detection and response solutions with behavioral analysis capabilities may help detect anomalous memory access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts in real-time. Users should also exercise caution when visiting untrusted websites and consider using browser hardening extensions that limit script execution privileges on a per-site basis to reduce the attack surface available for such exploits.