CVE-2026-6302: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2026-6302 Overview

CVE-2026-6302 is a Use After Free vulnerability in the Video component of Google Chrome prior to version 147.0.7727.101. This memory corruption flaw allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside the browser sandbox by enticing a victim to visit a specially crafted HTML page. The vulnerability was classified with High severity by Chromium's security team.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution within Chrome's sandbox by exploiting improper memory management in the Video component, potentially leading to further exploitation chains.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome versions prior to 147.0.7727.101
• Chromium-based browsers using affected Video component code
• All desktop platforms running vulnerable Chrome versions (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-15 - CVE-2026-6302 published to NVD
• 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-6302

Vulnerability Analysis

This Use After Free (UAF) vulnerability resides in the Video processing component of Google Chrome. UAF vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it references has been freed, leading to potential memory corruption. In this case, the Video component improperly manages memory during video processing operations, creating a window where freed memory can be accessed and manipulated by an attacker.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-416 (Use After Free), which describes scenarios where referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute arbitrary code. The network-based attack vector combined with the requirement for user interaction (visiting a malicious page) makes this a drive-by attack scenario.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-6302 stems from improper memory lifecycle management in Chrome's Video component. When processing certain video content, the component fails to properly track memory allocations and deallocations, resulting in dangling pointers that can be dereferenced after the underlying memory has been released back to the heap.

This type of vulnerability typically occurs when:

• Object references are not properly cleared after deallocation
• Asynchronous operations create race conditions in memory management
• Complex object relationships lead to premature memory release while other components still hold references

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring a victim to navigate to a malicious webpage containing crafted HTML and video content. The attack flow follows these stages:

1. Initial Access: Attacker hosts or injects malicious content on a webpage
2. Trigger: Victim visits the page, which loads the crafted video content
3. Memory Corruption: The malicious video triggers the use-after-free condition
4. Code Execution: Attacker gains arbitrary code execution within Chrome's sandbox

The vulnerability is triggered through specially crafted HTML pages that manipulate the Video component's memory handling. While the initial code execution occurs within Chrome's sandbox, successful exploitation could potentially be chained with sandbox escape vulnerabilities for full system compromise.

For technical implementation details, refer to the Chromium Issue Tracker #495477995 and the Google Chrome Update Release.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-6302

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual Chrome process crashes or unexpected browser behavior when rendering video content
• Memory access violations or crash dumps indicating heap corruption in Chrome's Video component
• Suspicious network requests to unknown domains serving video content with abnormal characteristics

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for Chrome crash reports with signatures related to the Video component or media processing
• Implement endpoint detection rules for abnormal Chrome child process behavior
• Deploy network monitoring to identify traffic patterns associated with exploit delivery pages
• Enable Chrome's built-in security features and monitor for sandboxing violation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure centralized logging for browser crash events across enterprise endpoints
• Monitor for unusual video-related resource consumption or memory allocation patterns
• Implement web proxy filtering to block known malicious domains serving exploit content
• Enable SentinelOne's behavioral AI to detect post-exploitation activities following browser compromise

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-6302

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 147.0.7727.101 or later immediately
• Enable automatic Chrome updates to ensure timely patching of future vulnerabilities
• Review and restrict browsing to trusted websites through web filtering solutions
• Consider deploying browser isolation technologies for high-risk users

Patch Information

Google has addressed this vulnerability in Chrome version 147.0.7727.101. The fix resolves the improper memory management in the Video component that allowed the use-after-free condition to occur. Organizations should prioritize this update given the remote code execution impact.

For official patch details, see the Google Chrome Stable Channel Update.

Workarounds

• Disable or restrict video playback functionality in Chrome through enterprise policies if patching is delayed
• Implement network-level filtering to block potentially malicious video content
• Use browser isolation solutions to contain potential exploitation attempts
• Consider temporarily using alternative browsers while awaiting patch deployment in controlled environments

# Chrome Enterprise Policy - Restrict video autoplay (Windows Registry)
# This can reduce attack surface while awaiting patching
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v AutoplayAllowed /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

# Verify Chrome version meets patched requirements
google-chrome --version
# Expected: Google Chrome 147.0.7727.101 or higher