CVE-2026-13799: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2026-13799 Overview

CVE-2026-13799 is a use-after-free vulnerability [CWE-416] in the QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) protocol implementation of Google Chrome. The flaw affects all Chrome versions prior to 150.0.7871.47 across Windows, macOS, and Linux. A remote attacker can trigger heap corruption by sending crafted network traffic to a victim browser. Google's Chromium team rated the internal severity as High. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution within the renderer or network process context, depending on where the freed object is reused.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can trigger heap corruption in the Chrome QUIC stack through malicious network traffic, potentially leading to code execution without user interaction beyond visiting an attacker-controlled resource.

Affected Products

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

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-30 - CVE-2026-13799 published to NVD
2026-07-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-13799

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a use-after-free condition in Chrome's QUIC protocol handler. QUIC is a UDP-based transport protocol that multiplexes streams, manages congestion, and provides TLS 1.3 encryption in a single layer. Chrome's implementation manages numerous heap-allocated objects representing sessions, streams, packets, and cryptographic state.

Use-after-free occurs when code retains a pointer to a heap object after that object has been deallocated. Subsequent access to the dangling pointer reads or writes memory that may now hold attacker-influenced data. In a network-facing component like QUIC, adversaries can shape the sequence of allocations and frees remotely by sending specific packet sequences.

The attack complexity is High because the attacker must reliably win a memory reuse race and control heap layout across an encrypted transport. However, the confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are all High, consistent with code execution potential.

Root Cause

The root cause is object lifetime mismanagement inside Chrome's QUIC stack. A QUIC-related object is released while another code path still holds a reference to it. The specific object and code path are tracked in Chromium Issue 499252371 but are not yet public.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires the victim's Chrome browser to process malicious QUIC traffic. This can be delivered by directing the target to an attacker-controlled origin that negotiates QUIC or by injecting crafted QUIC packets during an active session. No user interaction beyond normal browsing is required. The vulnerability does not require prior authentication.

Verified proof-of-concept code is not publicly available. Refer to the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry for technical details as they become public.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-13799

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome renderer or network service process crashes referencing QUIC session or stream objects in stack traces
Unexpected outbound UDP/443 (QUIC) traffic to untrusted destinations preceding browser instability
Child process spawning from chrome.exe that does not match normal browser sub-process patterns
Anomalous memory allocation growth in the Chrome network service process

Detection Strategies

Inventory Chrome versions across the fleet and flag any host running a build below 150.0.7871.47
Correlate browser crash telemetry with QUIC connection logs from proxies or DNS-over-HTTPS resolvers
Monitor endpoint EDR telemetry for post-exploitation behavior originating from Chrome processes, such as unexpected file writes or network calls

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable Chrome enterprise reporting to centralize version, crash, and extension telemetry
Log UDP/443 flows at egress points to identify QUIC endpoints contacted by browsers
Alert on Chrome sub-processes launching shells, scripting hosts, or LOLBins

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-13799

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome to version 150.0.7871.47 or later on all Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints
Force a browser restart after deployment to ensure the patched binary is loaded
Verify managed Chrome policies to prevent users from deferring updates indefinitely

Patch Information

Google released the fix in Chrome Stable channel version 150.0.7871.47. See the Google Chrome Update Announcement for the full changelog and rollout details. Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera should be updated once their vendors ship the corresponding backport.

Workarounds

Disable QUIC in Chrome via the QuicAllowed enterprise policy set to false until patching completes
Block outbound UDP/443 at the network perimeter to force HTTP/2 over TCP fallback
Restrict browsing to trusted destinations through proxy allow-listing for high-risk users

bash

# Disable QUIC via Chrome enterprise policy (Windows registry example)
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v QuicAllowed /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

# macOS managed preference equivalent
defaults write com.google.Chrome QuicAllowed -bool false

# Linux policy JSON (/etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed/quic.json)
# {"QuicAllowed": false}