Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessLure victim to crafted HTML page
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DeliveryTrigger use-after-free in Extensions component
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ExploitReclaim freed memory with attacker data
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ExecutionExecute arbitrary code in renderer sandbox
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ImpactCompromise in-browser session data
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Memory lifecycle management
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the victim to load a crafted HTML page in a vulnerable Chrome build (any version prior to 156.0.8078.47) - reflected by UI:R in the CVSS vector - so it is a one-click/drive-by vector rather than a zero-interaction network attack. The flaw resides in the Extensions component and executes attacker code only within the renderer sandbox (Scope:Unchanged); the key LIMITING factor is that impact is confined to the browser sandbox, so reaching the underlying OS or host data requires chaining a separate sandbox-escape vulnerability. No authentication is needed (PR:N), and default Chrome configurations are affected; up-to-date browsers (>=156.0.8078.47) are not vulnerable. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.8 (High) with vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating remote, low-complexity, unauthenticated exploitation that nonetheless requires user interaction (the victim must open a crafted HTML page). A critical nuance that tempers the raw score: the description explicitly states code execution occurs 'inside the sandbox' and the scope is Unchanged (S:U) - this is a renderer-level use-after-free, NOT a full host compromise, which is why Google/Chromium rated it only 'Medium' severity internally despite the 8.8 CVSS. These two signals conflict and should be reconciled: the 8.8 reflects worst-case renderer-process impact, while the vendor's Medium rating reflects that a separate sandbox-escape bug would be needed to reach the host. No EPSS score was provided in the input, and there is no CISA KEV listing and no public exploit code identified at time of analysis, so there is no evidence of active or imminent exploitation. Net assessment: a legitimate patch-now item for any Chrome fleet because of ubiquity and the one-click delivery vector, but not an emergency relative to a sandbox-escaping or actively-exploited Chrome bug - treat as part of normal expedited browser patching rather than incident-level response. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker hosts or compromises a web page containing malicious JavaScript/HTML that abuses the Extensions component to trigger a use-after-free, then lures a victim (via phishing link, malvertising, or compromised site) to visit it. When the page loads, the dangling pointer is reclaimed with attacker-controlled data, yielding arbitrary code execution confined to the Chrome renderer sandbox. No public proof-of-concept or exploit code was identified in the provided data, and escaping the sandbox to reach the host would require chaining a separate vulnerability. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 21, 2026
Use-after-free in Google Chrome's Extensions component (all builds prior to 156.0.8078.47) lets remote unauthenticated attackers run arbitrary code inside the renderer sandbox when a victim loads a crafted HTML page, requiring only one click or a drive-by page visit. Rated CVSS 3.1 8.8 (High) with Chromium security severity Medium, the flaw's reach is bounded by sandbox confinement (Scope:Unchanged) - escaping to the host OS or user data requires chaining a separate sandbox-escape bug. No public exploit code or confirmed active exploitation was identified at time of analysis; patched builds 156.0.8078.47 and later are not vulnerable.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: upgrade Google Chrome to 156.0.8078.47 or later via the stable channel advisory at https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2026/10/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_02018666648.html, and verify the version in chrome://version after restart since the fix only takes effect on relaunch; enterprise fleets should force the update through their management console and confirm inventory compliance. No vendor workaround is documented for this Extensions use-after-free, so the only robust mitigation is patching. Where immediate upgrade is impossible, reduce the attack surface by restricting extension installations via ExtensionInstallAllowlist/ExtensionInstallBlocklist policy and disabling developer mode (trade-off: blocks legitimate user-installed extensions), tightening Safe Browsing to Enhanced protection and URL filtering for untrusted content (trade-off: false positives and added latency), and running Chrome in a separate low-privilege account or VM (trade-off: workflow overhead) - none of these remove the underlying memory-corruption bug, and all should be treated as interim measures pending the 156.0.8078.47 rollout.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
CWE-416 (Use After Free) is a memory-safety class in which a heap object is released but a stale pointer to it is later dereferenced, letting an attacker who controls heap grooming (here, via crafted page content processed by Chrome's Extensions subsystem) reclaim the freed allocation with attacker-influenced data and hijack control flow or corrupt adjacent structures. The Extensions component binds privileged browser-side extension logic and its renderer-facing interfaces, so the bug is reachable over a network (AV:N) at low complexity (AC:L) with no privileges (PR:N) but requires victim interaction (UI:R). Because the assessed vector keeps Scope:Unchanged, code execution is achieved with the privileges of the compromised renderer rather than the OS, so meaningful host compromise demands a second-stage sandbox escape. CPE/version data places affected builds at Chrome <156.0.8078.47; the fix is delivered through Chrome's stable channel and inherited by downstream Chromium derivatives that have not yet rebased.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Remote crafted page with no auth (AV:N/PR:N) but victim must open it (UI:R); scope unchanged as code stays sandboxed (S:U); full renderer-process compromise gives C:H/I:H/A:H.
Primary rating from Vendor (google).
CVSS VectorVendor: google
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Extensions in Google Chrome prior to 156.0.8078.47 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
Executive ViewAI
Google Chrome versions prior to 156.0.8078.47 contain a use-after-free flaw in the Extensions component that can allow a crafted web page to execute code inside the browser’s renderer sandbox, creating broad endpoint exposure because Chrome is widely deployed and the attack relies only on user browsing or click activity. The sandbox confines direct impact to the renderer unless a separate sandbox-escape issue is chained, but leadership should care because a successful compromise could undermine endpoint trust and requires rapid fleet-wide patch verification. No public exploit identified at time of analysis.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.
Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.
Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.
Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.
EUVD-2026-105519
GHSA-5h5g-f8w8-wfjf
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Exploit-DB