CVE-2026-13874: Google Chrome Information Disclosure Bug

CVE-2026-13874 Overview

CVE-2026-13874 is a race condition vulnerability in the DataTransfer component of Google Chrome versions prior to 150.0.7871.47. A remote attacker can exploit the flaw by serving a crafted HTML page to leak potentially sensitive information from Chrome process memory. The Chromium project classifies the security severity as Medium. Exploitation requires user interaction, such as visiting a malicious page, and the attack complexity is high because triggering the race window is non-deterministic. The issue affects Chrome on Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop platforms. The weakness maps to [CWE-362] (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization).

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation discloses memory contents from the Chrome renderer or browser process, which may include tokens, credentials, or other sensitive data cached in the DataTransfer object.

Affected Products

Google Chrome prior to 150.0.7871.47
Chrome on Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Linux desktop distributions
Chromium-based browsers that consume the affected DataTransfer implementation

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-30 - CVE-2026-13874 published to NVD
2026-07-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-13874

Vulnerability Analysis

The DataTransfer interface backs clipboard and drag-and-drop operations in Chrome. It exchanges structured data between the renderer process and the browser process. The vulnerability arises when two threads access DataTransfer state without proper synchronization. An attacker who wins the race can read memory that was not intended to be exposed to script.

Because the race lies in a web-facing API, delivery only requires a crafted HTML page. The disclosed bytes originate from process memory adjacent to the DataTransfer buffers. Repeated exploitation attempts can accumulate leaked data across sessions.

Root Cause

The defect is a concurrency flaw classified under [CWE-362]. Missing or insufficient locking around the shared DataTransfer object allows one thread to observe partially initialized or freed memory while another thread mutates it. Chrome's multi-process architecture amplifies the impact because DataTransfer content can bridge origins during copy, paste, or drop events.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction. A victim must load attacker-controlled content, typically by visiting a malicious URL or an untrusted iframe. The attacker script repeatedly manipulates DataTransfer objects, for example through synthetic drag events or clipboard interactions, to trigger the race. When the race hits, sensitive process memory is exposed to JavaScript and can be exfiltrated to a remote endpoint.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is listed, and the vulnerability is not present in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Full technical details are tracked in Chromium Issue Tracker #498411773.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-13874

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome desktop clients reporting a version string earlier than 150.0.7871.47 in enterprise inventory or chrome://version.
Outbound HTTPS beacons from browser processes to untrusted domains shortly after visiting an unfamiliar page.
Browser telemetry showing unusually high volumes of dragstart, drop, or clipboard events originating from a single tab.

Detection Strategies

Query endpoint inventory data for Chrome builds below 150.0.7871.47 on Windows, macOS, and Linux hosts.
Correlate browser process network activity with newly observed domains to surface potential exfiltration attempts.
Alert on renderer process crashes referencing DataTransfer or clipboard code paths, which may indicate exploitation attempts.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest browser and endpoint telemetry into a central analytics platform to track Chrome version drift across the fleet.
Monitor DNS and proxy logs for high-frequency, low-volume requests from browser processes that could carry leaked memory.
Track user reports of drag-and-drop or clipboard anomalies, which can accompany exploitation of DataTransfer races.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-13874

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome on all managed endpoints to 150.0.7871.47 or later.
Push the update through enterprise management channels such as Chrome Browser Cloud Management, Group Policy, or MDM.
Restart Chrome processes after deployment to ensure the patched binary is loaded.

Patch Information

Google addressed the issue in the Stable channel release documented in the Google Chrome Desktop Update. Administrators should validate that endpoints report the fixed build in chrome://settings/help and in software inventory tooling. Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi should be updated once vendors ship a merge from the upstream fix.

Workarounds

Restrict browsing to trusted sites via web filtering while patch deployment is in progress.
Disable or restrict clipboard and drag-and-drop APIs for untrusted origins through enterprise browser policies where feasible.
Enforce site isolation and strict same-origin policies to reduce the value of any memory disclosed by a successful race.

bash

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

# Windows: query the installed version from the registry
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Google\Update\Clients\{8A69D345-D564-463C-AFF1-A69D9E530F96}" /v pv

# macOS: read the CFBundleShortVersionString
defaults read "/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Info" CFBundleShortVersionString