Description

Use after free in Views in Google Chrome prior to 152.0.7977.65 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to execute arbitrary code outside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "8.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-25T21:17:54.647Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-25T21:17:54.647Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A critical Use-After-Free (UAF) vulnerability exists within the Views component of Google Chrome prior to version 152.0.7977.65. This security defect originates from improper memory management within the browser's UI framework, specifically affecting how object lifecycles are handled during rendering tasks.\nThe vulnerability allows a remote attacker, who has successfully compromised the renderer process, to achieve arbitrary code execution beyond the restrictive confines of the browser sandbox. By deploying a specially crafted HTML page, an attacker can trigger the UAF condition to manipulate heap memory, leading to potential control flow hijacking.\nThe risk level is classified as Medium by Chromium security standards, reflecting the necessity of a prior compromise of the renderer process as a prerequisite for full sandbox escape. If exploited, this flaw poses a significant threat to user data confidentiality, system integrity, and process isolation, potentially allowing an attacker to escalate privileges and execute unauthorized code on the host operating system.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability is rooted in the Views framework's memory management architecture, specifically involving a UAF condition during the lifecycle management of UI objects. A UAF occurs when an application continues to use a memory pointer after the underlying memory has been freed. In the context of the Chromium browser, this implies that a reference to a View object is maintained and accessed even after the object has been deallocated or destroyed by the garbage collection mechanism or explicit lifecycle management functions.\nThe attack flow commences when an attacker exploits an initial vulnerability to achieve Remote Code Execution (RCE) within the renderer process. Once control of the renderer is established, the attacker utilizes a crafted HTML page containing malicious scripts or DOM structures designed to trigger the specific state where a View object is invalidated. By carefully manipulating the browser's heap, the attacker forces the application to re-reference the dangling pointer.\nDuring the exploitation phase, the attacker performs heap spraying or memory grooming to replace the contents of the freed memory block with controlled data. When the browser attempts to interact with the dangling pointer—expecting a legitimate View object—it instead executes code or accesses memory locations specified by the attacker's payload. This redirection of the execution flow allows the attacker to bypass the renderer process's security sandbox, facilitating unauthorized operations outside the restricted environment.\nThe vulnerability specifically impacts Google Chrome versions prior to 152.0.7977.65. The complexity of the exploit is heightened by the requirement of initial renderer compromise; however, the impact remains severe as it provides a pathway to escape the browser sandbox. The transition from memory corruption to arbitrary code execution typically involves overwriting function pointers or virtual method tables (vtables) associated with the View objects, effectively gaining control over the instruction pointer (EIP/RIP) and triggering an attacker-controlled routine."
}