CVE-2026-13825: Google Chrome Use-After-Free Vulnerability

CVE-2026-13825 Overview

CVE-2026-13825 is an uninitialized memory use 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 can exploit heap corruption by convincing a user to visit a crafted HTML page. Chromium rates the security severity as High, and the vulnerability is tracked under CWE-457.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation may lead to heap corruption in the Chrome renderer process, enabling potential arbitrary code execution within the browser sandbox and setting the stage for chained sandbox escapes.

Affected Products

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

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-30 - CVE-2026-13825 published to NVD
2026-07-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Additional context is available in the Google Chrome Stable Update advisory and the Chromium Issue Tracker entry.

Technical Details for CVE-2026-13825

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in Dawn, Chrome's cross-platform implementation of the WebGPU standard. Dawn translates WebGPU API calls from JavaScript into native graphics commands for Direct3D, Metal, or Vulkan. The defect is an uninitialized use condition, classified as [CWE-457], where memory is read before being assigned a defined value.

When the browser processes a maliciously crafted WebGPU workload from an attacker-controlled HTML page, uninitialized data influences downstream memory operations. This condition triggers heap corruption in the GPU or renderer process. Attackers can shape the uninitialized contents to overlap with attacker-controlled data, converting the bug into a memory write primitive.

Exploitation requires user interaction, specifically visiting a malicious webpage, but no privileges or authentication are needed.

Root Cause

The root cause is a code path in Dawn that consumes a memory region before it is fully initialized. Uninitialized fields carry residual values from prior heap allocations, and those values are interpreted as valid state by subsequent GPU command processing. The resulting mismatch corrupts heap metadata or adjacent objects.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based delivery of a crafted HTML page containing malicious WebGPU shaders or command buffers. An attacker hosts the page or injects it through malvertising, phishing, or a compromised site. When the victim loads the page in an unpatched Chrome build, Dawn processes the attacker-supplied WebGPU input and triggers the uninitialized use. No verified public proof-of-concept exploit is available at this time.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-13825

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected crashes or restarts of Chrome renderer or GPU processes with heap corruption signatures in crash dumps.
Chrome child processes spawning unusual child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or shell interpreters on Linux and macOS.
Outbound network connections from Chrome processes to unfamiliar domains immediately following visits to untrusted sites.
Presence of Chrome versions below 150.0.7871.47 in endpoint software inventories.

Detection Strategies

Monitor endpoint telemetry for anomalous process trees where Chrome renderer or GPU processes execute non-browser binaries.
Correlate browser crash events with subsequent process creation and network activity to identify potential post-exploitation behavior.
Track Chrome version data from asset inventory sources to flag hosts running vulnerable builds.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest Chrome crash telemetry and browser process logs into a centralized SIEM for correlation with threat intelligence.
Alert on outbound connections from browser child processes to newly observed or low-reputation domains.
Enable browser security event forwarding through Chrome Enterprise policies and review policy compliance regularly.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-13825

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome to version 150.0.7871.47 or later on all Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints.
Verify Chrome auto-update is enabled and functioning across managed fleets.
Restart browsers after updates to ensure the patched binaries load into memory.
Prioritize patching for high-risk users such as executives, developers, and administrators.

Patch Information

Google released the fix in the Chrome Stable Channel update documented in the Google Chrome Stable Update advisory. The fixed version is 150.0.7871.47. Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi should also be updated once their vendors integrate the upstream patch.

Workarounds

Disable WebGPU through the chrome://flags/#enable-unsafe-webgpu flag or via enterprise policy until patching is complete.
Restrict browsing to trusted sites using web filtering and DNS security controls.
Enforce site isolation and strict sandboxing policies through Chrome Enterprise configuration.

bash

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

# Windows: query installed Chrome version via registry
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\BLBeacon" /v version

# macOS: check Chrome bundle version
defaults read "/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Info.plist" CFBundleShortVersionString