CVE-2026-95315 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/29/2026
Use after free in Aura in Google Chrome prior to 154.0.8037.57 allowed a local attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via UI Interaction. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2026
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 foundational windowing and input handling system in Chromium-based browsers, managing how user interface elements are displayed and interacted with on the screen. When an object is freed from memory but references to it remain active within the application state, any subsequent attempt by the program to access that memory location results in undefined behavior. In this specific instance, the flaw allows a local attacker who can trigger UI interactions to exploit these dangling pointers. The severity of this issue is classified as High because it bypasses standard sandboxing protections, which are designed to isolate untrusted content from the underlying operating system and user data.
From a technical perspective, use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when memory allocated for an object is deallocated while there are still active references pointing to that same block of memory. If the attacker can control what gets written into that freed memory region before it is reallocated for another purpose, they may achieve arbitrary code execution. In the context of Chrome's Aura component, this exploitation likely involves manipulating UI events or state transitions such that a pointer remains valid in one part of the code while being invalidated in another. This discrepancy creates a window where maliciously crafted data can overwrite critical structures within the browser process. Because Aura operates at a low level to handle graphical and input operations, successful exploitation could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the compromised user account, effectively breaking out of the restrictive sandbox environment that normally limits the damage from web-based attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for users who interact with potentially malicious content or are targeted by local exploits. A successful attack enables a remote adversary or an attacker with limited access to execute arbitrary code on the victim's machine. This can lead to full system compromise, including the theft of sensitive data such as passwords, cookies, and personal information stored within the browser profile. Furthermore, because Chrome is widely used for accessing banking services, corporate resources, and private communications, this vulnerability poses a severe risk to both individual privacy and organizational security posture. The ability to execute code outside the sandbox means that traditional defense-in-depth strategies relying on process isolation are rendered ineffective against this specific threat vector until patched.
To mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, it is imperative for all users of Google Chrome prior to version 154.0.8037.57 to update immediately to the latest stable release where these memory management issues have been resolved by the Chromium team. Security administrators should enforce automatic updates or deploy patching policies across enterprise environments to ensure that endpoints are protected against such exploitation attempts. Additionally, users can reduce their exposure by disabling JavaScript in untrusted sites or using browser extensions that restrict certain types of UI interactions if feasible within their workflow. From a defensive engineering standpoint, this incident underscores the importance of rigorous memory safety practices and automated fuzzing during software development to detect dangling pointer issues before they reach production builds.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifier CWE-416, which describes Use After Free conditions where references to freed memory are used after that memory has been reused for another purpose. In terms of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this exploit technique falls under Tactic Execution and specifically relates to techniques involving client-side exploitation such as Client Binary Proxy Execution or potentially Command and Scripting Interpreter if the executed code invokes system commands. The attack vector is classified as Local because it requires a local attacker to trigger UI interaction, although in many scenarios, an attacker might achieve this initial foothold through phishing or drive-by downloads that lead to local file execution or specific browser configurations being manipulated.