CVE-2026-13830: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2026-13830 Overview

CVE-2026-13830 is a use-after-free vulnerability [CWE-416] in the Chromoting component of Google Chrome on Linux. The flaw affects Chrome versions prior to 150.0.7871.47. A remote attacker on an adjacent network can trigger the condition by sending crafted network traffic to a target running the affected browser. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution within the browser process context. Google's Chromium security team rated the underlying issue as High severity. The vulnerability was patched in the Stable channel update for desktop released through the Chrome Releases blog.

Critical Impact
Remote arbitrary code execution on Linux Chrome clients via malicious network traffic reachable from an adjacent network.

Affected Products

Google Chrome on Linux prior to 150.0.7871.47
Chromoting (Chrome Remote Desktop) component
Chromium-based browsers incorporating the vulnerable Chromoting code

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-30 - CVE-2026-13830 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-07-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-13830

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a use-after-free condition in Chromoting, the Chrome Remote Desktop subsystem. Use-after-free flaws occur when a program continues to reference memory after it has been released back to the allocator. An attacker who controls allocation and deallocation timing can place attacker-influenced data in the freed region. Subsequent dereferences by the victim process operate on attacker-controlled memory. In browser contexts, this typically enables control over object virtual tables or function pointers, leading to arbitrary code execution inside the sandboxed renderer or helper process.

Because the flaw resides in the Chromoting network path, the attacker does not require prior authentication or user interaction. Traffic delivered from an adjacent network segment can reach the affected code paths and trigger the free-then-use sequence.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper lifetime management of a Chromoting object referenced during network message processing. The object is freed while a pointer to it remains reachable from the processing path. Additional details are tracked in the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry, which is currently access-restricted pending broader patch adoption.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network adjacency to the target host, consistent with the CVSS attack vector value of Adjacent. The attacker sends malicious Chromoting protocol messages to a Chrome instance running the vulnerable code path. No user interaction and no prior privileges are required. Successful exploitation results in code execution with the privileges of the Chrome process, which can then be chained with sandbox escapes to reach broader system compromise.

No public proof-of-concept exploit or exploit database entry has been published for CVE-2026-13830 at the time of writing.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-13830

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected Chrome or chrome-remote-desktop process crashes on Linux hosts, particularly with SIGSEGV inside Chromoting components
Inbound connections to Chromoting listener ports from unusual adjacent-network hosts
Chrome child process spawning shells, network utilities, or accessing /etc/passwd, ~/.ssh/, or credential stores
Chrome version strings below 150.0.7871.47 reported in browser telemetry

Detection Strategies

Inventory Chrome versions across Linux endpoints and flag installations below 150.0.7871.47
Alert on anomalous Chromoting protocol traffic patterns, including malformed messages and unexpected peers
Correlate Chrome renderer or utility process crashes with subsequent process execution or outbound connections
Apply behavioral EDR rules for browser processes spawning non-standard child processes on Linux

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest Chrome crash telemetry and dmesg segfault records into the SIEM for correlation
Monitor egress traffic from Chrome processes to non-Google domains immediately after inbound Chromoting sessions
Track Chrome Remote Desktop enablement across the fleet and restrict where it is not required

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-13830

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome on all Linux endpoints to version 150.0.7871.47 or later
Disable Chrome Remote Desktop on hosts where it is not operationally required
Restrict inbound access to Chromoting ports at the host firewall and network segmentation layer
Verify browser auto-update mechanisms are functioning and not blocked by policy

Patch Information

Google has released a fixed version in the Stable channel for desktop. Details are published in the Google Chrome Update Blog. Administrators should confirm that managed deployments have received the update and that pinned or offline installations are manually upgraded to 150.0.7871.47 or later.

Workarounds

Disable the Chrome Remote Desktop host service via systemctl disable --now chrome-remote-desktop@<user> on unpatched systems
Enforce network policies that block Chromoting traffic from untrusted VLANs and wireless segments
Apply Chrome enterprise policy to disable Remote Access features until patching is complete

bash

# Verify Chrome version and disable Chrome Remote Desktop on Linux
google-chrome --version
sudo systemctl disable --now chrome-remote-desktop@$USER.service
sudo ufw deny in on any to any port 5222 proto tcp