CVE-2026-4453: Google Chrome Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2026-4453 Overview

CVE-2026-4453 is an integer overflow vulnerability affecting the Dawn graphics component in Google Chrome on Mac. Prior to version 146.0.7680.153, a remote attacker could exploit this flaw to leak cross-origin data via a crafted HTML page. Chromium has classified this vulnerability with a high security severity rating.

Critical Impact

This integer overflow vulnerability enables cross-origin data leakage, potentially exposing sensitive information from other web origins to malicious actors through specially crafted web pages.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome on Mac prior to version 146.0.7680.153
• Apple macOS (as the underlying platform)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-20 - CVE-2026-4453 published to NVD
• 2026-03-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-4453

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as an integer overflow (CWE-190) combined with external control of assumed-immutable web parameter (CWE-472). The flaw exists within the Dawn component, which is Google's implementation of the WebGPU standard used for high-performance graphics and compute operations in Chrome.

Integer overflow vulnerabilities occur when arithmetic operations produce a result that exceeds the maximum value that can be stored in the allocated memory space. In this case, the overflow condition in Dawn leads to incorrect boundary calculations, which can be exploited to leak data across security boundaries.

The attack requires user interaction—specifically, the victim must navigate to a malicious web page containing the crafted HTML payload. Once triggered, the vulnerability allows attackers to bypass same-origin policy protections and access data from other web origins.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-4453 is an integer overflow condition in the Dawn graphics component. When processing certain WebGPU operations, arithmetic calculations can exceed the maximum bounds of the integer data type, resulting in unexpected values being used for memory access or buffer sizing. This miscalculation creates an information disclosure pathway that violates the browser's cross-origin security model.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker must host or inject malicious HTML content that exploits the integer overflow in Dawn. When a victim visits the malicious page using a vulnerable version of Google Chrome on Mac, the exploit triggers the overflow condition within the WebGPU processing pipeline.

The vulnerability allows the attacker to leak cross-origin data, meaning information from other websites or origins that should be protected by the browser's same-origin policy becomes accessible. This could include session tokens, personal information, or other sensitive data from web applications the user has open or has recently visited.

See the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry for additional technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-4453

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual WebGPU API calls or rendering operations in browser logs
• Unexpected memory access patterns in Dawn component diagnostics
• Cross-origin resource access attempts flagged by browser security mechanisms
• Evidence of crafted HTML pages attempting to trigger integer overflow conditions

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for Chrome crash reports related to the Dawn or WebGPU components
• Implement network traffic analysis to identify potentially malicious HTML content targeting WebGPU
• Review browser console logs for WebGPU-related errors or anomalies
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying exploitation attempts against browser vulnerabilities

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enhanced logging for Chrome browser instances to capture WebGPU-related events
• Implement browser version monitoring to identify endpoints running vulnerable Chrome versions
• Configure security tools to alert on suspicious JavaScript or WebGPU activity patterns
• Monitor for indicators of data exfiltration following potential exploitation

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-4453

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 146.0.7680.153 or later immediately
• Verify all Chrome installations across macOS endpoints are running the patched version
• Consider temporarily restricting access to untrusted websites until patching is complete
• Enable automatic updates for Google Chrome to ensure timely security patches

Patch Information

Google has released a security update addressing this vulnerability. Users should update to Google Chrome version 146.0.7680.153 or later. The patch is available through the standard Chrome update mechanism.

For detailed patch information, refer to the Google Chrome Stable Channel Update.

Workarounds

• If immediate patching is not possible, consider using an alternative browser temporarily
• Implement web filtering to block access to known malicious domains
• Restrict WebGPU functionality if supported by enterprise browser policies
• Enable strict site isolation features in Chrome to limit cross-origin attack surface

# Verify Chrome version on macOS
/Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome --version

# Force Chrome update check
# Open Chrome and navigate to: chrome://settings/help
# Or use enterprise deployment tools to push the latest version