CVE-2026-14420: Google Chrome Dawn RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-14420 Overview

CVE-2026-14420 is an out-of-bounds read and write vulnerability in Dawn, the WebGPU implementation used by Google Chrome. The flaw affects Chrome versions prior to 150.0.7871.46. A remote attacker can exploit the issue by serving a crafted HTML page to a targeted user. Successful exploitation can lead to a sandbox escape, allowing code to run outside the renderer's restricted process boundary. Chromium's security team rated the underlying issue as Critical severity. The vulnerability is tracked under [CWE-125] and involves both reading and writing beyond allocated memory buffers in the Dawn graphics component.

Critical Impact
A remote attacker can achieve a Chrome sandbox escape by convincing a user to visit a malicious web page, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution on the host system.

Affected Products

Google Chrome on Desktop platforms prior to version 150.0.7871.46
Chromium-based browsers integrating vulnerable Dawn/WebGPU builds
Applications embedding vulnerable Chromium versions with WebGPU enabled

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-01 - CVE-2026-14420 published to NVD
2026-07-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-14420

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in Dawn, the cross-platform WebGPU implementation shipped with Google Chrome. Dawn translates WebGPU API calls from web content into native graphics API commands for Direct3D, Metal, or Vulkan. The flaw permits both out-of-bounds read and out-of-bounds write operations against memory buffers managed by the component. Because Dawn operates in the GPU process, memory corruption in this component can be leveraged to break out of the renderer sandbox. User interaction is required, and the attack scope is changed, meaning corruption in the renderer can impact the broader browser process and host system. The Chromium project classified the underlying issue as Critical, reflecting the potential for reliable exploitation chains combining renderer compromise with GPU-process memory corruption.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper bounds checking within Dawn when processing WebGPU commands or buffer operations. The condition is classified under [CWE-125] (Out-of-bounds Read) and involves an adjacent out-of-bounds write. Insufficient validation of length, offset, or index parameters allows memory access outside the intended buffer region.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires a victim to load attacker-controlled HTML in a vulnerable Chrome build. The malicious page issues crafted WebGPU calls that trigger the out-of-bounds condition in Dawn. The attacker chains the memory corruption primitive with additional techniques to escape the sandbox. No authentication is required, and the attack is delivered over the network.

No verified public proof-of-concept code is available at this time. Refer to the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry and the Google Chrome Stable Update for authoritative technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-14420

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome browser processes crashing with GPU process termination messages when visiting untrusted sites
Unexpected child processes spawning from chrome.exe or the GPU process after web browsing activity
Outbound network connections to unfamiliar domains immediately following a browser session

Detection Strategies

Inventory endpoint Chrome versions and flag any installation below 150.0.7871.46 for remediation tracking
Monitor for anomalous GPU process crashes correlated with WebGPU-enabled page loads
Review web proxy logs for user visits to unrated or newly registered domains delivering WebGPU content

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable browser telemetry and crash reporting to detect exploitation attempts against the GPU process
Correlate endpoint process creation events with browser parent processes to surface post-exploitation activity
Track outbound connections from browser child processes to detect command-and-control staging

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-14420

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome to version 150.0.7871.46 or later on all managed endpoints
Verify that Chrome auto-update is enabled and functioning across the enterprise fleet
Restart Chrome after patch deployment to ensure the vulnerable Dawn library is unloaded from memory

Patch Information

Google released a fix in Chrome Stable version 150.0.7871.46. Details are available in the Google Chrome Stable Update announcement. Administrators managing enterprise deployments should push the updated build through their software distribution channel and confirm installation on all endpoints.

Workarounds

Restrict access to untrusted web content through enterprise web filtering until patches are deployed
Disable WebGPU via enterprise policy where the feature is not required for business workflows
Apply the principle of least privilege on user accounts to limit post-exploitation impact

bash

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

# Windows: query installed Chrome version
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\BLBeacon" /v version