CVE-2026-13967: Google Chrome Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2026-13967 Overview

CVE-2026-13967 is a heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the V8 JavaScript engine used by Google Chrome. The flaw affects all Chrome desktop versions prior to 150.0.7871.47. A remote attacker can trigger the overflow by luring a user to a crafted HTML page. Successful exploitation permits arbitrary code execution within the Chrome renderer sandbox. Google classifies the Chromium security severity as Medium, while the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) rates it High with a CVSS score of 8.8. The National Weakness Enumeration classifies the underlying weakness as [CWE-843] (Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type).

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code inside the Chrome sandbox by convincing a user to visit a malicious web page, providing a foothold for chained sandbox escape attacks.

Affected Products

Google Chrome for Windows prior to 150.0.7871.47
Google Chrome for macOS prior to 150.0.7871.47
Google Chrome for Linux prior to 150.0.7871.47

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-30 - CVE-2026-13967 published to NVD
2026-07-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-13967

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in V8, the JavaScript and WebAssembly engine that powers Chrome. A heap buffer overflow occurs when V8 processes specially crafted JavaScript from an attacker-controlled HTML page. The out-of-bounds write on the V8 heap corrupts adjacent object metadata, enabling attackers to influence control flow inside the renderer process.

Exploitation requires user interaction — the target must load the crafted page in an unpatched Chrome build. Because V8 executes untrusted JavaScript from every visited site, the attack surface spans any user browsing the open web. Successful exploitation results in arbitrary code execution confined to the renderer sandbox, which attackers typically chain with a sandbox escape to gain full system compromise.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper bounds handling in a V8 internal routine that writes to a heap-allocated buffer. The related [CWE-843] classification indicates the flaw is triggered through type confusion, where V8 accesses a resource as an incompatible type and writes past the allocated length. Details of the specific V8 component are tracked in the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker hosts a malicious HTML document, then delivers the URL through phishing emails, malvertising, watering hole compromises, or search engine optimization poisoning. When the victim loads the page, embedded JavaScript triggers the V8 heap corruption without any further click or prompt. The scope remains unchanged because code execution stays inside the renderer sandbox until an attacker chains an additional escape primitive.

No public proof-of-concept exploit or in-the-wild exploitation has been reported at the time of publication.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-13967

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome renderer processes spawning unexpected child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or shell interpreters
Renderer processes making outbound network connections to unfamiliar IP addresses or newly registered domains
Crash reports referencing V8 heap corruption in Chrome versions earlier than 150.0.7871.47

Detection Strategies

Inventory Chrome installations across the fleet and flag any hosts running versions prior to 150.0.7871.47
Deploy web proxy or DNS filtering rules that identify script-heavy pages served from low-reputation domains referenced in threat intelligence feeds
Correlate browser crash telemetry with process-injection or memory-write anomalies emitted by endpoint sensors

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on Chrome renderer processes writing executable content to disk or loading unsigned modules
Track lateral network activity from workstations immediately after browser crashes
Ingest Chrome update status into asset management dashboards to measure patch coverage over time

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-13967

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome to version 150.0.7871.47 or later on Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints
Restart Chrome after the update installs to ensure the patched V8 binary is loaded
Verify managed browsers using Chrome Browser Cloud Management or equivalent tooling to confirm the rollout

Patch Information

Google released the fix in the Stable channel update announced on the Google Chrome Update Announcement. Enterprises using extended stable, beta, or dev channels should confirm equivalent patched builds are deployed. Chromium-derived browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi inherit V8 and require vendor updates that incorporate the same fix.

Workarounds

Disable JavaScript for untrusted origins using Chrome Enterprise policy DefaultJavaScriptSetting where operationally feasible
Restrict outbound browsing to allow-listed domains until patch deployment completes
Enable Site Isolation and enhanced Safe Browsing to raise the cost of chained sandbox escapes

bash

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

# Windows PowerShell version check
(Get-Item "C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe").VersionInfo.ProductVersion

# Force policy-based update via managed preferences (macOS example)
defaults write com.google.Keystone.Agent checkInterval 3600