CVE-2026-14005: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2026-14005 Overview

CVE-2026-14005 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Omnibox component of Google Chrome on Android. The flaw affects versions prior to 150.0.7871.47 and allows a remote attacker to trigger heap corruption. Exploitation requires the attacker to lure a user into performing specific UI gestures on a crafted HTML page. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution within the browser process context. The vulnerability is tracked under [CWE-416] and carries a Chromium security severity rating of Medium, while NVD scores it at 8.8.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can achieve heap corruption and potential code execution in Chrome on Android through a crafted HTML page combined with user interaction.

Affected Products

Google Chrome on Android prior to 150.0.7871.47
Google Android platform running vulnerable Chrome builds
Chromium-based browsers on Android incorporating the affected Omnibox code

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-30 - CVE-2026-14005 published to NVD
2026-07-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-14005

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the Omnibox component, the combined address and search bar in Chrome. A use-after-free condition occurs when the Omnibox references heap memory that has already been freed. Attackers can groom the heap so that the freed object is reallocated with attacker-controlled data. Subsequent access through the dangling pointer causes memory corruption and can hand execution control to the attacker.

The issue requires user interaction, specifically UI gestures such as clicks, taps, or focus changes on a crafted page. This aligns with the attack vector where a malicious site coordinates DOM state changes with Omnibox interactions to trigger the freed reference. The impact extends across confidentiality, integrity, and availability due to the potential for arbitrary code execution inside the renderer or browser process.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper object lifetime management inside the Omnibox on Android [CWE-416]. Chrome frees an internal object while another code path retains a reference to it. When that stale reference is dereferenced, the process operates on invalid or attacker-controlled memory.

Attack Vector

An attacker hosts a crafted HTML page and convinces a mobile user to visit it. The page triggers navigation, autocomplete, or focus events tied to the Omnibox. Specific user gestures then cause the freed object to be accessed. The attacker uses this heap corruption primitive to escalate toward code execution within the browser sandbox. Technical details are limited in public sources. See the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry and the Google Chrome Update Notice for the vendor record.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-14005

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome renderer or browser process crashes on Android devices immediately after visiting untrusted URLs.
Unexpected Chrome version fingerprints reporting builds below 150.0.7871.47 in enterprise inventory data.
Outbound connections from Chrome to newly registered or low-reputation domains preceding a crash event.

Detection Strategies

Inventory Chrome for Android versions across managed devices and flag any build earlier than 150.0.7871.47.
Monitor mobile endpoint telemetry for repeated Chrome tab or process crashes correlated with specific URLs.
Correlate web proxy logs with Chrome crash reports to identify pages that trigger Omnibox instability.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest Chrome crash reports and Android Tombstone data into a central analytics pipeline for anomaly review.
Track EPSS movement for CVE-2026-14005, currently at 0.253%, to prioritize response as exploitation likelihood shifts.
Alert on execution of unsigned code or unusual child processes spawned from Chrome on managed Android devices.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-14005

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome on Android to version 150.0.7871.47 or later through the Google Play Store.
Enforce mobile device management (MDM) policies that require the current Chrome version before granting access to corporate resources.
Instruct users to avoid interacting with the Omnibox on unfamiliar sites until patching is confirmed.

Patch Information

Google addressed the vulnerability in Chrome for Android 150.0.7871.47. Refer to the Google Chrome Update Notice for release details and the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry for the underlying bug reference. Deploy the patched build across all managed Android endpoints and verify installation through MDM reporting.

Workarounds

Restrict browsing on Android to trusted sites through web filtering until the patched Chrome build is deployed.
Disable Omnibox suggestion features where policy permits to reduce interaction surface with untrusted content.
Route mobile browsing through an enterprise secure web gateway that blocks known malicious HTML payloads.

bash

# Verify Chrome for Android version via adb
adb shell dumpsys package com.android.chrome | grep versionName
# Expected output: versionName=150.0.7871.47 or higher