CVE-2026-95319 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/29/2026
Use after free in Printing in Google Chrome prior to 154.0.8037.57 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to potentially execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Low)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2026
The vulnerability identified as a use-after-free condition within Google Chrome's printing subsystem represents a critical memory management error that undermines the browser's core security architecture. This flaw occurs when an object is accessed after its memory has been deallocated, leading to undefined behavior that can be exploited by malicious actors. In this specific instance, the defect resides in the code responsible for handling print operations within the Chromium engine prior to version 154.0.8037.57. The severity of such vulnerabilities is often contextualized by their potential impact on system integrity and confidentiality, with Google classifying this particular issue as low severity due to the specific prerequisites required for exploitation.
The technical mechanism behind a use-after-free vulnerability involves a mismatch between object lifetime management and pointer dereferencing. When an application frees memory associated with an object but retains references to that memory location, subsequent access to those dangling pointers can result in reading or writing arbitrary data. In the context of Chrome's renderer process, which operates within a sandboxed environment designed to restrict system-level access, this flaw provides a pathway for attackers to manipulate internal state variables or control flow mechanisms. By crafting a specific HTML page that triggers the printing routine and induces the premature deallocation followed by subsequent use, an attacker can corrupt memory structures in ways that facilitate code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant despite its low severity rating because it directly challenges the sandbox boundary. The renderer process isolation model relies on strict separation between untrusted web content and trusted browser processes to prevent arbitrary code execution. However, if a remote attacker successfully exploits this use-after-free condition within the compromised renderer process, they may achieve arbitrary code execution outside of the sandbox. This escalation allows the malicious payload to interact with the operating system directly, potentially leading to full device compromise, data exfiltration, or installation of persistent malware without user interaction beyond visiting the crafted webpage.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-416, which describes use after free errors resulting from improper memory management practices. The exploitation strategy typically involves heap spraying techniques to control the contents of the freed memory block, ensuring that when the dangling pointer is dereferenced, it points to attacker-controlled data rather than random garbage values. This allows for precise manipulation of program execution flow, often leading to arbitrary code execution through function pointer overwrites or virtual table corruption. The ATT&CK framework categorizes such techniques under T1203, which covers exploitation for client-side attacks, highlighting the importance of robust input validation and memory safety in web browsers.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve updating Google Chrome to version 154.0.8037.57 or later, where these memory management issues have been addressed by developers through rigorous code reviews and automated fuzzing tests that detect dangling pointer scenarios before deployment. For organizations unable to update immediately, network-level controls such as web filtering proxies can block access to known malicious domains hosting exploit kits. Additionally, enabling Chrome's built-in sandbox protections and keeping operating system security patches current provides additional layers of defense against potential exploitation attempts. Regular auditing of third-party browser extensions is also recommended, as they may introduce similar vulnerabilities if not properly maintained by their developers.