CVE-2026-13028: Google Chrome WebGL Use-After-Free Flaw

CVE-2026-13028 Overview

CVE-2026-13028 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the WebGL component of Google Chrome on Android. The flaw affects Chrome for Android versions prior to 149.0.7827.197. A remote attacker can exploit the issue by serving a crafted HTML page to a victim. Successful exploitation may lead to a sandbox escape, allowing attacker-controlled code to break out of the renderer process. Chromium has rated the internal security severity as Critical, and the CWE classification is [CWE-416] (Use After Free). Exploitation requires user interaction, typically navigating to a malicious page.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can trigger memory corruption in WebGL through a crafted HTML page and potentially escape the Chrome sandbox on Android devices.

Affected Products

Google Chrome for Android prior to 149.0.7827.197
Chromium-based browsers on Android sharing the affected WebGL implementation
Embedded WebViews on Android rendering untrusted content via the vulnerable Chromium build

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-24 - CVE-2026-13028 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-25 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-13028

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a use-after-free condition within Chrome's WebGL implementation. WebGL exposes GPU rendering primitives to JavaScript through bindings backed by C++ objects in the renderer process. A use-after-free occurs when code continues to reference a heap object after it has been deallocated. Attackers groom the heap to place attacker-controlled data into the freed allocation, then trigger the dangling reference. The result is controlled memory corruption inside the renderer.

Because WebGL operates close to GPU command processing and shared graphics resources, a renderer compromise here can be chained with additional flaws to escape the Chrome sandbox on Android. The advisory explicitly notes the potential for sandbox escape via a crafted HTML page.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper object lifetime management in WebGL, classified as [CWE-416]. A WebGL object is released while another code path retains a reference and later dereferences it. Such issues commonly arise from context loss handling, asynchronous callbacks, or detached resources that outlive their owning context.

Attack Vector

Exploitation is network-based and requires user interaction. The victim must load a crafted HTML page in the vulnerable Chrome for Android build. The page issues a sequence of WebGL API calls designed to free an internal object and then access it. No authentication is required. Refer to the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry and the Google Chrome Desktop Update for vendor details.

// No verified public proof-of-concept code is available for CVE-2026-13028.
// The vulnerability is triggered by WebGL API sequences in a crafted HTML page
// that cause a freed object in the renderer to be reused.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-13028

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected Chrome renderer process crashes on Android devices, particularly with signatures referencing WebGL or GPU command buffers
Outbound connections from mobile browsers to recently registered or low-reputation domains hosting WebGL-heavy pages
Anomalous child processes or file writes originating from the Chrome application sandbox following web browsing activity

Detection Strategies

Inventory Android endpoints and identify Chrome installations below version 149.0.7827.197 using mobile device management (MDM) telemetry
Inspect crash and tombstone reports for renderer faults referencing WebGL classes, which can indicate exploitation attempts
Apply web proxy or DNS filtering signatures for known malicious WebGL exploit kit domains as threat intelligence becomes available

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor Chrome update compliance across managed Android fleets and alert on devices stalled below patched versions
Forward mobile EDR, MDM, and proxy logs to a centralized analytics platform to correlate browser crashes with subsequent suspicious activity
Track Chromium security release announcements and the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry for follow-on advisories

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-13028

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome on Android to version 149.0.7827.197 or later through the Google Play Store
Enforce automatic Chrome updates via MDM policy on all managed Android devices
Audit embedded Android WebView components and update applications relying on vulnerable Chromium builds

Patch Information

Google has released a fixed Chrome build for Android. Users and administrators should upgrade to Chrome 149.0.7827.197 or later. Release details are available in the Google Chrome Desktop Update announcement, and the underlying bug is tracked in the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry.

Workarounds

Restrict use of Chrome on Android to trusted sites until the patched version is deployed across the fleet
Disable or restrict WebGL via enterprise policy where business workflows allow, using the DefaultWebGLSetting or equivalent managed configuration
Route mobile browser traffic through a secure web gateway that blocks known malicious domains and high-risk content categories

bash

# Example: enforce minimum Chrome version on Android via MDM (Android Enterprise managed configuration)
# Set the following key in the Chrome managed configuration:
#   key:   MinimumVersion
#   value: 149.0.7827.197
#
# Example: disable WebGL via Chrome policy on managed Android devices
#   key:   DefaultWebGLSetting
#   value: 2   # 2 = Block WebGL by default