CVE-2026-13030 Overview
CVE-2026-13030 is an uninitialized memory use vulnerability in the GPU component of Google Chrome on Android. Versions prior to 149.0.7827.197 are affected. A remote attacker can craft a malicious HTML page that triggers the flaw and reads potentially sensitive data from process memory. The issue is classified under CWE-457: Use of Uninitialized Variable. Chromium's internal security severity rating is High, while the NVD CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.3 (Medium) due to high attack complexity and required user interaction.
Critical Impact
A successful attack leaks contents of Chrome GPU process memory to an attacker-controlled web page, exposing data that may include tokens, page contents, or texture buffers from other origins.
Affected Products
- Google Chrome on Android, versions prior to 149.0.7827.197
- Chrome GPU process component
- Chromium-based mobile browsers sharing the affected GPU code path
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-06-24 - CVE-2026-13030 published to NVD
- 2026-06-25 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-13030
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in Chrome's GPU process, which handles graphics command buffers, texture allocations, and rendering operations on behalf of renderer processes. An uninitialized variable or buffer is read before being assigned a defined value. When this value influences data returned to the renderer or exposed through JavaScript-accessible APIs such as WebGL or Canvas, an attacker observes residual bytes from prior GPU process operations.
Exploitation requires the victim to load a crafted HTML page in the affected Chrome for Android build. The crafted page issues a specific sequence of graphics calls that reach the unguarded code path. Because the leaked memory originates from a privileged GPU process serving multiple origins, the disclosed bytes can cross the renderer's same-origin boundary.
The CVSS vector indicates network reachability, no privileges required, user interaction needed, and confidentiality-only impact. Integrity and availability are not affected. The high attack complexity reflects the need to shape GPU process memory so that sensitive content lands in the uninitialized region at the time of disclosure.
Root Cause
A GPU process code path returns or operates on a buffer whose contents are not fully initialized before use. The underlying weakness is CWE-457, Use of Uninitialized Variable. Details are tracked in the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry.
Attack Vector
The attack is remote and browser-driven. An attacker hosts or injects a crafted HTML page, lures the victim to visit it, and the page issues GPU operations that trigger the uninitialized read. Returned data is exfiltrated through the same page using standard web APIs. No verified public proof-of-concept is available at this time. See the Google Chrome Stable Update for vendor details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-13030
Indicators of Compromise
- Android devices running Chrome versions earlier than 149.0.7827.197 and visiting untrusted sites
- Outbound HTTP/HTTPS requests carrying base64 or hex-encoded binary blobs from JavaScript shortly after WebGL or Canvas operations
- Web pages performing repeated GPU resource allocations followed by readback APIs against attacker-controlled endpoints
Detection Strategies
- Inventory Chrome for Android versions across managed mobile fleets and flag builds below 149.0.7827.197
- Inspect web proxy and DNS telemetry for connections to newly registered domains serving WebGL-heavy payloads to Android user agents
- Hunt for anomalous JavaScript behavior that combines GPU readback APIs with high-volume outbound POST traffic
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable mobile threat defense telemetry on Android endpoints to surface browser version drift and risky page loads
- Forward browser version data and proxy logs into a centralized analytics pipeline for correlation against known-bad domains
- Track Chrome release advisories and pair version intelligence with EPSS scoring updates to prioritize fleet patch cycles
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-13030
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Google Chrome on Android to version 149.0.7827.197 or later through the Google Play Store
- Enforce minimum browser version policies via mobile device management for corporate-managed Android devices
- Advise users to avoid untrusted links until patched Chrome versions are confirmed installed
Patch Information
Google has released a fixed build of Chrome for Android at version 149.0.7827.197. Refer to the Google Chrome Stable Update for the official release notes and the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry for the upstream fix tracking.
Workarounds
- Restrict use of Chrome on Android for high-risk users until the update is applied
- Use enterprise browser configuration to disable hardware acceleration where feasible to reduce GPU process attack surface
- Block known malicious domains at the DNS or secure web gateway layer to limit exposure to crafted HTML payloads
# Verify installed Chrome version on a managed Android device via ADB
adb shell dumpsys package com.android.chrome | grep versionName
# Expected output should be 149.0.7827.197 or later
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
