CVE-2026-13776: Google Chrome RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-13776 Overview

CVE-2026-13776 is a type confusion vulnerability in Dawn, the WebGPU implementation used by Google Chrome. The flaw affects Chrome versions prior to 150.0.7871.47 across Windows, macOS, and Linux. A remote attacker who has already compromised the renderer process can leverage a crafted HTML page to trigger the type confusion and potentially escape the Chrome sandbox. Google's Chromium team rates the security severity as Critical. The vulnerability maps to CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type, a class of bugs frequently used in browser exploit chains to break out of renderer isolation.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation enables a sandbox escape from a compromised renderer, granting the attacker code execution at the level of the browser process on the underlying host.

Affected Products

Google Chrome versions prior to 150.0.7871.47
Chrome on Microsoft Windows
Chrome on Apple macOS and Linux

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-30 - CVE-2026-13776 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-07-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-13776

Vulnerability Analysis

Dawn is Chrome's cross-platform implementation of the WebGPU API and translates WebGPU calls into native graphics backends such as Vulkan, Metal, and D3D12. A type confusion inside Dawn allows code paths to treat an object as a type it is not, corrupting internal state that governs GPU command validation and memory handling. When the confused object is later dereferenced or dispatched to native GPU APIs, the browser process performs operations against attacker-controlled data. Because Dawn logic runs in the GPU process, which sits outside the renderer sandbox, the bug provides a viable pivot for a sandbox escape.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper type verification during interpretation of WebGPU objects passed from the renderer to Dawn. The affected code path assumes a specific object type without validating the runtime type tag, satisfying the conditions for [CWE-843]. Attacker-supplied structures crafted through the WebGPU JavaScript surface reach the vulnerable handler and are cast into an incompatible representation.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires the attacker to first control the renderer process, typically through a separate renderer-side vulnerability or malicious JavaScript on a page the user visits. From that foothold, the attacker delivers a crafted HTML page that issues WebGPU calls designed to trigger the Dawn type confusion. The confused object is used to corrupt memory in the GPU process, and the resulting primitive is chained into code execution outside the renderer sandbox. No additional privileges or user interaction beyond visiting the crafted page are needed. Public exploit code and confirmed in-the-wild exploitation are not reported at the time of publication. Technical detail is tracked in the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-13776

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome or Chromium-based browser processes spawning unexpected child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, bash, or osascript from the GPU process.
Unexpected crashes or restarts of the Chrome GPU process (--type=gpu-process) correlated with visits to untrusted pages using WebGPU.
Outbound network connections from the Chrome GPU process to attacker infrastructure.

Detection Strategies

Inventory Chrome installations and flag any endpoint running a version earlier than 150.0.7871.47.
Hunt for anomalous parent-child relationships where chrome.exe GPU or utility processes launch shells, script interpreters, or LOLBins.
Review browser telemetry for repeated GPU process crashes tied to WebGPU-enabled sites.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest endpoint process, file, and network telemetry into a centralized analytics platform and pivot on Chrome subprocess lineage.
Alert on Chrome writing executables or scheduled task artifacts under user-writable paths shortly after WebGPU activity.
Correlate browser version data from asset management with vulnerability scanner output to track patch coverage over time.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-13776

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome to version 150.0.7871.47 or later on all Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints.
Force-restart browser sessions after deployment to ensure the patched binary is loaded.
Apply matching updates to Chromium-based browsers (Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi) once vendors ship the merged fix.

Patch Information

Google addressed the vulnerability in the Chrome Stable channel release documented in the Google Chrome Update Announcement. Enterprises using managed deployments should push the update through Google Update, Chrome Browser Cloud Management, or their existing software distribution tooling and verify installed versions post-deployment.

Workarounds

Disable WebGPU via enterprise policy by setting the Enabled state of the chrome://flags/#enable-unsafe-webgpu flag to off and pushing HardwareAccelerationModeEnabled=false where feasible until patching completes.
Restrict browsing to trusted sites through URL allowlists to reduce exposure to attacker-controlled HTML pages.
Apply site isolation and strict sandbox policies, and remove local administrator rights so a successful escape yields limited privileges.

bash

# Verify Chrome version on Linux/macOS endpoints
google-chrome --version

# Windows: query installed Chrome version from the registry
reg query "HKLM\Software\Google\Chrome\BLBeacon" /v version