CVE-2026-14423: Google Chrome Tint RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-14423 Overview

CVE-2026-14423 is a type confusion vulnerability in the Tint component of Google Chrome. Tint is the WebGPU Shading Language (WGSL) compiler used by Chrome's WebGPU implementation. The flaw affects Chrome versions prior to 150.0.7871.46. A remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability by tricking a user into visiting a crafted HTML page. Successful exploitation may allow a sandbox escape from the Chrome renderer process.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can achieve sandbox escape via a crafted HTML page, breaking out of Chrome's renderer isolation and potentially executing code in a higher-privileged context.

Affected Products

Google Chrome versions prior to 150.0.7871.46
Chromium-based browsers incorporating the affected Tint WGSL compiler
Desktop stable channel builds distributed before the June 2026 update

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-01 - CVE-2026-14423 published to NVD
2026-07-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-14423

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a type confusion flaw [CWE-843] in Tint, the WGSL shader compiler that backs Chrome's WebGPU API. Type confusion occurs when code operates on a data object while assuming it belongs to a different type than the one actually allocated. In Tint, this mismatch can arise during shader parsing, semantic analysis, or intermediate representation transformations of attacker-supplied WGSL.

Once a mistyped object is dereferenced, the compiler reads or writes memory using an incorrect layout. This yields controlled memory corruption inside the GPU process. Chrome routes WebGPU work through the GPU process, which historically has held broader system privileges than the renderer sandbox. A successful chain therefore graduates from renderer JavaScript to a sandbox escape.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient type checks in Tint when handling shader constructs. The compiler treats a WGSL AST or IR node as one type while its underlying storage represents another, producing an unsafe cast. See the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry for tracking details.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires a victim to load a crafted HTML page that invokes the WebGPU API and submits malicious WGSL. User interaction is limited to visiting the page. No authentication is required. The scope change reflected in the CVSS vector indicates that impact crosses the renderer sandbox boundary. Refer to the Google Blog Chrome Update for vendor context.

No public exploit code is currently available. The vulnerability mechanism involves supplying WGSL that triggers Tint to construct a mistyped node, then invoking a code path that dereferences the node under its incorrect type to corrupt GPU-process memory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-14423

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome GPU process crashes or unexpected termination events correlated with WebGPU usage on untrusted origins
Renderer or GPU process spawning unexpected child processes or writing to non-standard paths
Outbound connections from chrome.exe GPU helper processes to previously unseen infrastructure following visits to attacker-controlled HTML

Detection Strategies

Inventory Chrome versions across the estate and flag any host running a build below 150.0.7871.46
Monitor browser telemetry for repeated GPU process crashes tied to specific origins, which can signal exploitation attempts
Alert on anomalous process lineage from Chrome helper processes, particularly the GPU process launching command interpreters or scripting hosts

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest browser and endpoint telemetry into a centralized data lake to correlate GPU process crashes with URL history and download activity
Track WebGPU API usage on high-risk endpoints and baseline expected origins that legitimately use WebGPU
Enable crash reporting and forward Chrome crash dumps to security operations for triage

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-14423

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome to version 150.0.7871.46 or later on all managed endpoints
Force-restart Chrome after deployment so the patched binaries load; pending updates do not protect running sessions
Audit all Chromium-based browsers in the environment and apply corresponding vendor updates as they ship

Patch Information

Google addressed CVE-2026-14423 in the stable channel update announced on the Chrome Releases blog. Upgrade to Chrome 150.0.7871.46 or later. Enterprise administrators should push the update through Chrome Browser Cloud Management, Group Policy, or their standard software distribution tooling. See the Google Blog Chrome Update for release details.

Workarounds

Disable WebGPU on managed browsers via the chrome://flags/#enable-unsafe-webgpu flag and the WebGPU enterprise policy where feasible until patching completes
Restrict browsing to trusted sites through enterprise URL filtering to reduce exposure to crafted HTML pages
Apply site isolation and the --disable-features=WebGPU command-line switch on high-value endpoints where WebGPU is not required

bash

# Configuration example: enforce Chrome minimum version and disable WebGPU via policy (Linux example)
# /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed/cve-2026-14423.json
{
  "BrowserSwitcherEnabled": false,
  "DefaultWebUsbGuardSetting": 2,
  "WebGpuEnabled": false,
  "RelaunchNotification": 2,
  "RelaunchNotificationPeriod": 86400000
}