Executive brief
A critical security vulnerability exists in the Google Chrome web browser's user interface component. By tricking a user into visiting a specially crafted website, an attacker could bypass the browser's security sandbox. This could allow the attacker to gain unauthorized access to the underlying operating system, potentially leading to data theft or the installation of malicious software.
Technical details
A use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability exists in the User Interface (UI) component of Google Chrome. The flaw is triggered when the browser incorrectly manages memory for UI objects, allowing an attacker to reference memory after it has been freed. By leveraging a crafted HTML page, a remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit this memory corruption to achieve a sandbox escape. This allows code execution outside of the restricted browser process at the privilege level of the user. The vulnerability is addressed in Chrome version 148.0.7778.168.
Affected products
- Google Chrome prior to 148.0.7778.168
Timeline
- 2026-03-22: disclosed: Reported by Google internally
- 2026-05-12: patched: Stable channel update released
- 2026-05-14: advisory: NVD publication date