CVE-2026-4677: Google Chrome Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2026-4677 Overview

CVE-2026-4677 is an out-of-bounds memory read vulnerability affecting the WebAudio component in Google Chrome. This inappropriate implementation flaw allows a remote attacker to read memory outside of intended boundaries by enticing a user to visit a specially crafted HTML page. The vulnerability affects Google Chrome versions prior to 146.0.7680.165 across all supported desktop platforms.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can leverage this out-of-bounds read vulnerability to potentially leak sensitive information from browser memory or cause application instability through malicious web content.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome prior to version 146.0.7680.165
• Google Chrome on Microsoft Windows
• Google Chrome on Apple macOS
• Google Chrome on Linux

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-24 - CVE-2026-4677 published to NVD
• 2026-03-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-4677

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability (CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read) resides in Chrome's WebAudio API implementation. The WebAudio API provides a powerful system for controlling audio on the web, enabling complex audio processing and synthesis directly in the browser. The inappropriate implementation in this component fails to properly validate memory boundaries during audio processing operations, creating conditions where memory outside the allocated buffer can be read.

The vulnerability requires user interaction—specifically, the victim must navigate to or be redirected to a malicious webpage containing the crafted HTML and JavaScript payload. Once triggered, the out-of-bounds read can expose data from Chrome's memory space that should not be accessible to web content. This type of memory safety issue can potentially be chained with other vulnerabilities to achieve more severe impacts including remote code execution.

Root Cause

The root cause is an inappropriate implementation in the WebAudio component that fails to enforce proper bounds checking during memory read operations. When processing audio data through the WebAudio API, the implementation does not adequately validate that read operations remain within the bounds of allocated memory regions. This allows attackers to craft specific audio processing requests that cause the browser to read memory beyond intended boundaries.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no privileges but necessitating user interaction. An attacker would need to:

1. Create a malicious webpage containing a crafted HTML page with WebAudio API calls designed to trigger the out-of-bounds read
2. Distribute the malicious page via phishing, malvertising, compromised websites, or other social engineering techniques
3. Wait for a victim using a vulnerable Chrome version to visit the page
4. The malicious page executes, triggering the memory read vulnerability

The vulnerability can be exploited through standard web delivery mechanisms. For technical details on the specific implementation flaw, refer to Chromium Issue Tracker #490533968.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-4677

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual memory access patterns or crashes in Chrome's renderer process related to WebAudio operations
• Browser stability issues or unexpected termination when visiting specific websites
• Detection of suspicious JavaScript code utilizing WebAudio API in unusual patterns
• Memory disclosure artifacts in browser crash dumps

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for Chrome crash reports related to WebAudio component failures
• Implement web content filtering to detect and block known malicious payloads targeting this vulnerability
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying browser exploitation attempts
• Analyze network traffic for suspicious HTML/JavaScript content targeting WebAudio APIs

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Chrome's built-in crash reporting to identify exploitation attempts
• Monitor endpoint telemetry for abnormal Chrome process behavior
• Implement browser version auditing to ensure all instances are updated beyond 146.0.7680.165
• Review web proxy logs for access to known malicious domains distributing exploits

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-4677

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 146.0.7680.165 or later immediately
• Enable automatic updates for Google Chrome across all managed endpoints
• Verify Chrome version compliance across the organization
• Consider temporarily restricting access to untrusted web content until patches are deployed

Patch Information

Google has released a security update addressing this vulnerability in Chrome version 146.0.7680.165. The patch corrects the inappropriate implementation in the WebAudio component by adding proper bounds validation for memory read operations.

For complete patch details and the official announcement, see the Google Chrome Update Announcement.

Organizations should prioritize updating Chrome across all endpoints. The update can be deployed through:

• Chrome's built-in automatic update mechanism
• Enterprise deployment tools such as Google Workspace or third-party MDM solutions
• Manual download from the official Chrome website

Workarounds

• If immediate patching is not possible, consider using an alternative browser temporarily
• Implement network-level controls to block access to untrusted or suspicious websites
• Deploy browser isolation solutions to contain potential exploitation attempts
• Restrict JavaScript execution on untrusted sites through Chrome policies or extensions

# Verify Chrome version on Linux/macOS
google-chrome --version

# Force Chrome update check (user-initiated)
# Navigate to: chrome://settings/help

# Enterprise deployment via command line (Windows)
# Download latest installer and deploy via GPO or SCCM