CVE-2026-87576 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/09/2026
Uninitialized resource in GPU in Google Chrome on on Android prior to 153.0.8010.36 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to read memory 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 an uninitialized resource issue within the GPU subsystem of Google Chrome on Android represents a significant breach in the browser's isolation mechanisms, specifically affecting versions prior to 153.0.8010.36. This flaw stems from improper initialization practices where memory buffers or state variables associated with graphics processing operations are accessed before being properly set up by the system. In modern web browsers like Chrome, security relies heavily on a multi-process architecture that isolates different components to limit the impact of potential exploits. The renderer process is particularly critical as it handles untrusted content from websites; however, it operates within a sandbox designed to prevent direct access to sensitive host resources or other processes' memory spaces. When an uninitialized resource exists in the GPU component, which often interacts with lower-level system calls and hardware acceleration features, it creates a pathway for attackers to bypass these protective boundaries.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability falls under the category of improper initialization as defined by Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) standards, specifically CWE-908. The core issue lies in the fact that when the GPU driver or software layer attempts to utilize memory regions allocated for rendering tasks, it may read from addresses that have not been zeroed out or assigned valid data structures. This state of undefined behavior allows a remote attacker who has already achieved code execution within the renderer process through other means, such as exploiting a separate vulnerability in JavaScript engine logic or HTML parsing routines, to leverage this uninitialized memory access for further exploitation. By crafting specific HTML pages that trigger these GPU operations under precise timing conditions, an attacker can cause the browser to read from arbitrary memory locations outside the sandboxed environment of the renderer process.
The operational impact of this flaw is severe because it effectively neutralizes one of the primary defenses against remote code execution attacks: the browser's sandboxing model. If a user visits a malicious website containing the crafted HTML page, and their device runs an affected version of Chrome on Android, the attacker can potentially read sensitive data stored in memory that should be inaccessible to web content. This could include session cookies, authentication tokens, or other private information held by the browser process itself. Furthermore, depending on how the uninitialized memory is interpreted, it might allow for arbitrary code execution with higher privileges than those granted to the renderer process. The Chromium project has classified this security severity as Medium, indicating that while exploitation requires a pre-existing compromise of the renderer process, the resulting escalation poses a substantial risk to user privacy and system integrity.
This type of vulnerability is often associated with techniques found in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to privilege escalation or defense evasion within software applications. Attackers typically use such flaws as part of a chain where an initial entry point leads to sandbox escape, ultimately allowing full control over the application context and potentially the underlying operating system if further vulnerabilities are chained together. The presence of uninitialized resources in high-performance components like GPU drivers highlights the complexity involved in maintaining secure codebases that interact with hardware acceleration features across diverse mobile architectures.
To mitigate this risk, users must ensure their Google Chrome browser is updated to version 153.0.8010.36 or later on Android devices. This update contains patches that properly initialize all GPU-related resources before they are accessed during rendering operations, thereby eliminating the possibility of reading uninitialized memory regions. Developers and security teams should also review code paths involving hardware acceleration and graphics processing to ensure strict adherence to initialization protocols. Regular patching cycles are essential for maintaining the integrity of browser-based isolation models against evolving threat landscapes that target low-level system interactions within web applications.