CVE-2026-14094 Overview
CVE-2026-14094 is a use-after-free vulnerability [CWE-416] in the Installer component of Google Chrome on Windows. The flaw affects Chrome versions prior to 150.0.7871.47 and allows a local attacker to escalate privileges to the operating system level using a malicious file. Google's Chromium team classified the underlying issue as Low severity, but the NVD assigned a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 due to the high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact when exploited on the local host.
Critical Impact
A local attacker who tricks a user into interacting with a crafted file can achieve OS-level privilege escalation on Windows endpoints running vulnerable Chrome installers.
Affected Products
- Google Chrome on Windows prior to 150.0.7871.47
- Microsoft Windows hosts running the vulnerable Chrome Installer component
- Chromium-based deployments that reuse the Chrome Installer code path
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-06-30 - CVE-2026-14094 published to NVD
- 2026-07-02 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-14094
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Chrome Installer on Windows. A use-after-free condition occurs when the installer references a heap object after that object has been released. An attacker who controls the freed memory region can influence subsequent operations executed by the installer process.
The Chrome Installer typically runs with elevated privileges to write to protected paths such as Program Files and to register system services. Exploiting the use-after-free during installer execution therefore yields code execution in a security context higher than that of the invoking user. The result is OS-level privilege escalation from a standard user to an administrative context.
Exploitation requires local access and user interaction, since the attacker must place a malicious file where the installer will process it and the user must trigger the vulnerable code path. Network preconditions are not required.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper lifetime management of a heap-allocated object inside the Installer component. The installer continues to use a pointer after the referenced object is freed, allowing controlled memory reuse. This is a classic [CWE-416] pattern.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is local. An attacker plants a malicious file that the vulnerable installer parses or references during an install, update, or repair action. When the installer dereferences the freed object, attacker-controlled data determines the outcome, resulting in privilege escalation to the SYSTEM or administrative context that the installer holds.
No verified public proof-of-concept is available. The vulnerability is described in prose based on the vendor advisory and Chromium issue tracker. See the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry for technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-14094
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected child processes spawned by the Chrome installer binary (setup.exe, mini_installer.exe) running as SYSTEM or an elevated user.
- Creation or modification of files in Program Files\Google\Chrome or Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome outside a legitimate update window.
- Suspicious files staged in user-writable temporary directories immediately before a Chrome update or install action.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor process lineage for the Chrome installer and alert when non-Google-signed child processes are launched from installer binaries.
- Correlate installer execution events with local privilege changes, new service creation, or scheduled task registration.
- Track Chrome version telemetry across the fleet and flag hosts still running versions prior to 150.0.7871.47.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable Windows process creation auditing (Event ID 4688) with command-line logging to capture installer invocations and arguments.
- Ingest Sysmon Event ID 1 (process creation) and Event ID 11 (file create) to observe files written before installer execution.
- Alert on token elevation events (Event ID 4672) originating from processes that spawn from the Chrome installer.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-14094
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Google Chrome on all Windows endpoints to version 150.0.7871.47 or later.
- Inventory endpoints using enterprise management tooling and prioritize hosts where users routinely run installers.
- Restrict standard users from writing to directories consumed by the Chrome installer at update time.
Patch Information
Google addressed the vulnerability in Chrome Stable channel version 150.0.7871.47 for Windows. Deploy the fixed build through the Google Update service, enterprise MSI packages, or managed software distribution. Details are published in the Google Chrome Release Update.
Workarounds
- Disable manual Chrome installations and updates for non-administrative users until the patched build is deployed.
- Enforce application control policies (for example, Windows Defender Application Control or AppLocker) to block execution of unauthorized files from user-writable paths.
- Restrict interactive logon on high-value Windows systems to reduce exposure to local privilege escalation.
# Verify installed Chrome version on Windows via PowerShell
(Get-Item "C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe").VersionInfo.ProductVersion
# Force enterprise Chrome update through Google Update
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe" /ua /installsource scheduler
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
