CVE-2026-13813: Google Chrome iOS RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-13813 Overview

CVE-2026-13813 is an insufficient policy enforcement vulnerability in Google Chrome for iOS. The flaw affects versions of Chrome for iOS prior to 150.0.7871.47 and is tied to CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation). A remote attacker who has already compromised the renderer process can leverage a crafted HTML page to attempt a sandbox escape. Chromium engineers rated the underlying security severity as High. The issue impacts Chrome installations running on Apple iPhone OS.

Critical Impact
An attacker controlling the renderer process can potentially escape the Chrome for iOS sandbox using a crafted HTML page, breaking a core browser security boundary.

Affected Products

Google Chrome for iOS prior to 150.0.7871.47
Apple iPhone OS devices running vulnerable Chrome builds
Chromium-based browser components on iOS relying on the same policy enforcement path

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-30 - CVE-2026-13813 published to NVD
2026-07-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-13813

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-13813 stems from insufficient policy enforcement inside Chrome for iOS. Policy enforcement layers in Chromium normally validate that renderer-originated requests respect origin, navigation, and capability boundaries. When enforcement is incomplete, a renderer that an attacker already controls can issue requests or perform actions that the browser process should have blocked. In this case, the gap enables a sandbox escape attempt from a compromised renderer.

The vulnerability requires a two-stage attack chain. The attacker must first compromise the renderer process, typically by exploiting a separate memory corruption or logic bug in the web content pipeline. Once inside the renderer, a crafted HTML page can exercise the flawed policy check to reach code paths that should be unreachable across the sandbox boundary. User interaction is required and attack complexity is high, which reflects the multi-stage exploitation pattern.

Root Cause

The root cause is classified under [CWE-20] Improper Input Validation. Chrome for iOS did not sufficiently validate or enforce policy decisions on inputs originating from the renderer. Trust boundaries between the compromised renderer and higher-privileged browser components were not maintained, allowing renderer-supplied data to influence sandbox-relevant behavior.

Attack Vector

Exploitation is network-based and delivered through a crafted HTML page. The victim must load attacker-controlled web content in Chrome for iOS. The attacker must already have code execution in the renderer, then abuse the policy enforcement gap to attempt escape from the renderer sandbox into higher-privileged browser context. Scope is changed, and confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact are all high per the published CVSS vector.

No public proof-of-concept, exploit code, or CISA KEV listing exists for CVE-2026-13813 at the time of publication. EPSS data indicates a low near-term exploitation probability.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-13813

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome for iOS clients reporting versions earlier than 150.0.7871.47 in mobile device management (MDM) inventory
Unexpected renderer crashes or repeated tab process termination correlated with visits to untrusted sites
Outbound connections from iOS devices to newly registered or low-reputation domains hosting crafted HTML content

Detection Strategies

Inventory Chrome for iOS versions across managed fleets and flag any build below 150.0.7871.47
Correlate mobile browser telemetry with threat intelligence on hosts serving exploit-style HTML payloads
Monitor for anomalous behavior on iOS devices immediately following Chrome browsing sessions, such as unexpected process activity or configuration changes

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest MDM and mobile browser version data into the security data lake for continuous version-drift analysis
Alert on Chrome for iOS instances that remain unpatched beyond a defined SLA after the vendor release
Track network egress from iOS devices for connections to domains flagged in Chromium security advisories

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-13813

Immediate Actions Required

Update Chrome for iOS to version 150.0.7871.47 or later on every managed device
Push the update through MDM policy and require compliance before granting access to sensitive resources
Communicate the risk to users who install Chrome outside managed channels and require manual updates

Patch Information

Google addressed CVE-2026-13813 in Chrome for iOS 150.0.7871.47. Update details are available in the Google Chrome Update Announcement and tracked in the Chromium Issue Tracker Reference. Apply the update through the Apple App Store or MDM-managed application deployment.

Workarounds

Restrict browsing to trusted sites on iOS devices until the patched Chrome build is installed
Use MDM policies to block installation of outdated Chrome for iOS versions and enforce automatic app updates
Where feasible, direct users to an alternate up-to-date browser on iOS until Chrome is patched across the fleet

bash

# Example MDM query to identify vulnerable Chrome for iOS installs
# Flag any device where the installed Chrome version is below 150.0.7871.47
mdm-cli query apps \
  --bundle-id com.google.chrome.ios \
  --version-less-than 150.0.7871.47 \
  --output devices-to-patch.csv