CVE-2026-14099: Google Chrome Use-After-Free Vulnerability

CVE-2026-14099 Overview

CVE-2026-14099 is a use-after-free vulnerability [CWE-416] in Google Chrome for iOS versions prior to 150.0.7871.47. A remote attacker can trigger heap corruption by convincing a user to perform specific UI gestures on a crafted HTML page. Successful exploitation may lead to arbitrary code execution within the browser process context. The flaw affects Chrome installations on Apple iPhone OS and requires user interaction to succeed. Google addressed the issue in the Stable channel update announced on the Chrome Releases blog.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can potentially execute arbitrary code through heap corruption when a user visits a malicious page and performs specific UI gestures.

Affected Products

Google Chrome for iOS versions prior to 150.0.7871.47
Apple iPhone OS running vulnerable Chrome builds
Chromium-based rendering paths used by Chrome on iOS

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-30 - CVE-2026-14099 published to NVD
2026-07-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-14099

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a use-after-free condition [CWE-416] within Chrome for iOS. Use-after-free flaws occur when a program continues to reference memory after it has been released back to the allocator. An attacker who reclaims that freed region with controlled data can hijack subsequent operations that dereference stale pointers.

In this case, the trigger requires a crafted HTML page combined with specific user interface gestures. The gesture requirement suggests the freed object is tied to UI state, event handling, or view lifecycle management in the iOS Chrome front-end. The result is heap corruption, which can be leveraged for arbitrary read/write primitives and code execution inside the renderer or browser process.

The EPSS probability sits at 0.255%, indicating a low near-term exploitation likelihood, and no public proof-of-concept or CISA KEV listing exists at the time of publication.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper object lifetime management in Chrome for iOS. A UI-linked object is freed while another code path still holds a reference to it. When that reference is subsequently used, the allocator may have reassigned the memory, allowing an attacker to influence its contents.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-delivered. An attacker hosts a crafted HTML page and lures a target to visit it. The victim must then perform particular UI gestures, such as taps, swipes, or navigation actions, which drive the vulnerable code path. No authentication is required, but user interaction is mandatory.

No verified exploitation code is publicly available. Refer to the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry and the Google Chrome Update Announcement for technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-14099

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome for iOS crash reports referencing heap corruption or freed-object dereferences after web navigation
Outbound connections from mobile devices to newly registered or low-reputation domains serving HTML with unusual DOM manipulation
Unexpected renderer process termination correlated with visits to untrusted URLs

Detection Strategies

Inventory Chrome for iOS installations and flag versions below 150.0.7871.47
Inspect mobile web proxy and DNS logs for access to domains hosting suspicious HTML payloads
Correlate browser crash telemetry with URL history to identify pages that consistently trigger renderer instability

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest mobile device management (MDM) inventory data to track Chrome for iOS build versions across the fleet
Monitor web gateway logs for phishing and lure URLs targeting mobile browsers
Alert on repeated Chrome crash events from the same device within a short window

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-14099

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome for iOS to version 150.0.7871.47 or later through the Apple App Store
Enforce browser version compliance through MDM policies on managed iOS devices
Communicate the risk to users and instruct them to avoid untrusted links until patched

Patch Information

Google released the fix in the Stable channel update for Chrome. See the Google Chrome Update Announcement for release details and the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry for engineering context. Verify installed versions are at 150.0.7871.47 or higher.

Workarounds

Use an alternative browser on iOS until the Chrome update is applied
Disable link previews and restrict browsing to trusted domains via MDM web content filtering
Apply URL reputation filtering at the network egress to block known malicious HTML lures

bash

# Verify Chrome for iOS version compliance via MDM query
# Example: query installed app version through Apple MDM InstalledApplicationList
# Expected minimum CFBundleShortVersionString: 150.0.7871.47
mdmctl query --device <device-id> --command InstalledApplicationList \
  | jq '.InstalledApplicationList[] | select(.Identifier=="com.google.chrome.ios") | .ShortVersion'