CVE-2026-4445: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2026-4445 Overview

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in the WebRTC component of Google Chrome prior to version 146.0.7680.153. This memory corruption flaw allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a specially crafted HTML page, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the browser context.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability to achieve heap corruption and potentially execute arbitrary code by luring victims to malicious web pages containing crafted WebRTC content.

Affected Products

Google Chrome (versions prior to 146.0.7680.153)
Google Chrome on Microsoft Windows
Google Chrome on Apple macOS
Google Chrome on Linux

Discovery Timeline

2026-03-20 - CVE CVE-2026-4445 published to NVD
2026-03-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-4445

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-416 (Use After Free), a critical class of memory safety issues that occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it references has been deallocated. In the context of WebRTC, this component handles real-time communication features including audio, video, and data transfer between browsers.

The use-after-free condition in WebRTC creates an exploitable scenario where an attacker can manipulate the freed memory region. When the browser subsequently accesses this dangling pointer, it may read attacker-controlled data or execute arbitrary operations, leading to heap corruption with the potential for code execution.

Root Cause

The vulnerability stems from improper memory management in the WebRTC implementation within the Chromium rendering engine. Specifically, an object is freed while references to it still exist within the WebRTC processing pipeline. Subsequent operations that attempt to access this freed memory trigger undefined behavior, which attackers can exploit by carefully crafting the heap state to gain control over program execution.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker must craft a malicious HTML page that triggers the vulnerable WebRTC code path. When a victim navigates to the attacker-controlled page, the crafted content manipulates WebRTC operations in a way that triggers the use-after-free condition. This can lead to heap corruption and potentially allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code within the sandboxed renderer process.

The exploitation scenario involves:

Attacker hosts malicious content on a controlled or compromised website
Victim is lured to visit the page through phishing or malvertising
The page triggers the vulnerable WebRTC functionality
Memory corruption occurs, potentially leading to code execution

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-4445

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual Chrome renderer process crashes or errors related to WebRTC components
Browser memory corruption signatures in crash dumps indicating heap corruption
Suspicious WebRTC connection attempts to unknown peer endpoints
Abnormal JavaScript execution patterns involving WebRTC API calls

Detection Strategies

Monitor for Chrome crash reports containing WebRTC-related stack traces
Implement network-level detection for malicious HTML payloads targeting WebRTC
Deploy endpoint detection rules to identify exploitation attempts against browser processes
Analyze browser telemetry for anomalous WebRTC initialization patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable enhanced browser logging for WebRTC components in enterprise environments
Configure security tools to alert on Chrome renderer process anomalies
Monitor outbound connections from browser processes for suspicious peer-to-peer activity
Implement centralized crash reporting to identify potential exploitation attempts across the organization

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-4445

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome to version 146.0.7680.153 or later immediately
Enable automatic browser updates to ensure timely security patches
Implement browser isolation technologies for high-risk users
Consider temporarily restricting access to untrusted websites until patching is complete

Patch Information

Google has addressed this vulnerability in Chrome version 146.0.7680.153. The security update was announced via the Chrome Releases Blog. Organizations should prioritize deployment of this update across all managed Chrome installations. Additional technical details can be found in the Chromium Issue Tracker.

Workarounds

Disable WebRTC functionality via Chrome enterprise policies if not required for business operations
Implement web filtering to block access to untrusted or unknown websites
Deploy browser isolation solutions to contain potential exploitation attempts
Use network segmentation to limit impact if browser compromise occurs

bash

# Chrome Enterprise Policy to disable WebRTC (if not required)
# Add to Chrome policy configuration
{
  "WebRtcUdpPortRange": "",
  "WebRtcLocalIpsAllowedUrls": [],
  "WebRtcAllowLegacyTLSProtocols": false
}