CVE-2026-91738 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2026
Improper input validation in ANGLE in Google Chrome prior to 153.0.8010.47 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 • 09/15/2026
The vulnerability identified within the ANGLE graphics library component of Google Chrome, specifically in versions prior to 153.0.8010.47, represents a critical failure in input validation mechanisms that governs how graphical data is processed and rendered. ANGLE serves as an intermediary layer that translates OpenGL ES API calls into native platform-specific graphics APIs such as DirectX or Metal, thereby enabling web content to render complex visual elements across different operating systems without requiring hardware-specific drivers for every environment. The core technical flaw lies in the insufficient sanitization of input data passed through this translation layer, allowing a remote attacker to construct malicious HTML pages that exploit specific edge cases within the graphics pipeline processing logic. When such a crafted page is rendered by an affected browser instance, the improperly validated inputs trigger undefined behavior or memory corruption states within the ANGLE subsystem, which operates with elevated privileges relative to standard web content restrictions.
This improper input validation directly facilitates arbitrary code execution outside the security sandbox that typically isolates untrusted web content from the underlying operating system and user data. In modern browser architectures like Chromium, a strict sandboxing model is employed to limit the damage caused by successful exploits of vulnerabilities in renderer processes or associated libraries. However, because ANGLE interacts closely with low-level graphics drivers and memory management subsystems, flaws within this component can allow an attacker to bypass these isolation boundaries. By leveraging specific sequences of graphical commands embedded in a malicious webpage, an adversary can manipulate memory structures in ways that lead to code execution privileges exceeding those granted to the browser process itself. This effectively neutralizes one of the primary defense-in-depth strategies employed by web browsers, transforming what might otherwise be contained within a sandboxed environment into a full system compromise scenario where arbitrary binaries or shellcode can be executed with the context of the user running the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution triggered solely through web interaction. An attacker does not need physical access or prior authentication; instead, they merely need to lure a victim into visiting a specially crafted website or opening an email containing such content. Once loaded, the exploit runs automatically in the background without requiring further user interaction beyond initial page load, depending on the specific exploitation technique used within the ANGLE code path. This ease of delivery combined with the high privilege level achieved post-exploitation makes it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments and individual users alike. The medium severity rating assigned by Chromium security teams reflects both the complexity required to reliably exploit this flaw in a real-world scenario and the significant impact if successful, balancing the technical difficulty against the potential consequences of sandbox escape.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate software updates to ensure that all instances of Google Chrome are upgraded to version 153.0.8010.47 or later, where these input validation checks have been strengthened and patched by developers. For organizations unable to patch immediately due to compatibility concerns, network-level controls such as web filtering proxies can be configured to block access to known malicious domains hosting exploit kits targeting this specific vulnerability class. Additionally, enabling strict content security policies and disabling JavaScript execution on untrusted sites can reduce the attack surface available for crafting these complex graphical exploits. From a broader cybersecurity perspective, this incident underscores the importance of rigorous code review processes within graphics libraries that interface with system-level resources, as well as continuous monitoring for anomalous behavior in browser renderer processes that may indicate attempted sandbox escapes or unauthorized memory access patterns consistent with CWE-20 Improper Input Validation and ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter execution via web-based vectors.