CVE-2026-12451 Overview
CVE-2026-12451 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the DigitalCredentials component of Google Chrome versions prior to 149.0.7827.155. A remote attacker who has already compromised the renderer process can leverage a crafted HTML page to trigger memory corruption and potentially escape the Chrome sandbox. The flaw is tracked under CWE-416 and was assigned a High severity rating by the Chromium security team. Successful exploitation breaks the renderer-to-browser process boundary, granting an attacker code execution in a higher-privileged context. Google addressed the issue in the Stable channel desktop update released through the Google Chrome Update Announcement.
Critical Impact
An attacker controlling a compromised renderer can chain this use-after-free into a sandbox escape, expanding code execution to the browser process across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Affected Products
- Google Chrome prior to 149.0.7827.155
- Chromium-based browsers on Apple macOS
- Chromium-based browsers on Linux and Microsoft Windows
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-06-17 - CVE-2026-12451 published to NVD
- 2026-06-18 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-12451
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the DigitalCredentials API implementation within Chrome's renderer process. Digital Credentials is a web platform feature that brokers identity attestations between websites and platform credential providers. The flaw is a classic use-after-free condition, classified under [CWE-416], where the renderer dereferences a pointer to an object that has already been deallocated.
Exploitation requires user interaction, indicated by the UI:R component of the CVSS vector. An attacker must lure a victim to a crafted HTML page and have already achieved code execution inside the renderer through a prior bug. The S:C scope-change indicator reflects the sandbox-escape primitive that this use-after-free enables.
Root Cause
The defect stems from improper object lifetime management in the DigitalCredentials request handling path. When asynchronous credential operations complete out of order, a callback or message handler retains a reference to an object that the renderer has already freed. Re-entering the freed object's vtable or member pointers yields attacker-controlled execution within the renderer, which can be steered against IPC boundaries to reach the privileged browser process.
Attack Vector
The attack chain begins with a victim visiting a malicious page. The attacker first exploits a separate renderer-level bug to obtain memory read/write or code execution within the sandboxed renderer. The crafted page then invokes Digital Credentials APIs in a sequence that triggers the freed-object reuse, corrupting browser-process IPC handling and escaping the renderer sandbox.
No public proof-of-concept has been released, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. The EPSS score is 0.217%, reflecting a low predicted likelihood of imminent exploitation at publication time.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-12451
Indicators of Compromise
- Chrome browser processes spawning unexpected child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or shell interpreters immediately after rendering untrusted web content.
- Outbound connections from chrome.exe to low-reputation domains hosting heavily obfuscated JavaScript that calls Digital Credentials APIs.
- Crash dumps referencing DigitalCredentials frames or freed-object access violations in the renderer.
Detection Strategies
- Inventory installed Chrome versions across managed endpoints and flag any build below 149.0.7827.155.
- Hunt for renderer-to-browser sandbox-escape behaviors: Chrome processes writing to autorun locations, scheduled tasks, or user startup folders.
- Inspect browser telemetry and crash reports for repeated faults in the Digital Credentials code path, which can indicate exploitation attempts.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward Chrome process telemetry, command-line arguments, and child-process events to a central analytics platform for behavioral baselining.
- Alert on Chrome processes loading unsigned modules or executing file system operations outside normal user profile directories.
- Correlate web proxy logs with endpoint process events to identify users visiting malicious pages that subsequently trigger anomalous Chrome behavior.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-12451
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Google Chrome to version 149.0.7827.155 or later on all Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints.
- Restart Chrome on every host after deployment to ensure the patched binary is loaded into memory.
- Audit Chromium-based browsers and Electron applications that may embed vulnerable Chromium builds and update them to fixed releases.
Patch Information
Google released the fix in the Stable channel desktop update documented in the Google Chrome Update Announcement. Technical tracking is available through the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry. Enterprise administrators should deploy the update through Chrome Browser Cloud Management, Group Policy, or their standard software distribution tooling.
Workarounds
- Enforce site isolation and strict cross-origin policies to limit the impact of a compromised renderer until patching is complete.
- Restrict access to untrusted sites through web proxy filtering and DNS-layer blocking of known malicious infrastructure.
- Disable the Digital Credentials feature through enterprise policy where business workflows do not require it.
# Verify installed Chrome version on Windows, macOS, and Linux
# Windows (PowerShell)
(Get-Item "$Env:ProgramFiles\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe").VersionInfo.ProductVersion
# macOS
/Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome --version
# Linux
google-chrome --version
# Expected output: 149.0.7827.155 or later
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
