CVE-2026-76040: Google Chrome Use-After-Free Vulnerability

CVE-2026-76040 Overview

CVE-2026-76040 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Browser component of Google Chrome on macOS. The flaw affects Chrome versions prior to 151.0.7922.169. A remote attacker can leverage social engineering to trick a user into visiting a crafted HTML page. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution outside the browser sandbox. Google rates the Chromium security severity as High. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-416 and requires user interaction to exploit.

Critical Impact
Attackers can execute arbitrary code outside the Chrome sandbox on macOS endpoints after a user visits a malicious page, leading to full compromise of the browser process context.

Affected Products

Google Chrome for macOS versions prior to 151.0.7922.169
Chromium-based components in the Browser process on macOS
Downstream Chromium browsers on macOS that have not incorporated the upstream fix

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-18 - CVE-2026-76040 published to NVD
2026-08-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-76040

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a use-after-free (CWE-416) in the Chrome Browser process on macOS. Use-after-free conditions occur when code continues to reference memory after it has been freed. An attacker who controls the freed allocation can influence subsequent reads, writes, or virtual function dispatches.

Because the flaw resides in the Browser process rather than a sandboxed renderer, successful exploitation runs code outside the Chrome sandbox. This bypasses the primary containment boundary that limits web content on the endpoint. Combined with a crafted HTML page delivered through social engineering, an attacker gains code execution in a highly privileged browser context.

Google assigns a Chromium severity of High. Refer to the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry and the Google Chrome Desktop Update for vendor details.

Root Cause

The root cause is an object lifetime management error in the Browser component. A pointer or reference to a heap object continues to be used after that object has been released. On macOS builds of Chrome prior to 151.0.7922.169, this dangling reference is reachable from web content by way of interactions with browser-managed objects.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker hosts a crafted HTML page and uses social engineering, such as phishing links or malicious advertisements, to convince the user to load it. Rendering the page triggers the vulnerable code path in the Browser process. Successful exploitation yields arbitrary code execution outside the sandbox on macOS.

No verified public proof-of-concept code is available for this issue. See the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry for further technical context once access restrictions are lifted.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-76040

Indicators of Compromise

Google Chrome installations on macOS reporting a version string below 151.0.7922.169
Unexpected child processes spawned by Google Chrome on macOS, especially shells, osascript, or curl
Outbound connections from the Chrome Browser process to newly registered or low-reputation domains following a browsing session
New LaunchAgents or LaunchDaemons written under ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ shortly after Chrome activity

Detection Strategies

Inventory Chrome versions on macOS endpoints and alert on any host running a build older than 151.0.7922.169
Correlate Chrome process telemetry with web navigation events to identify anomalous post-navigation process creation
Hunt for Browser-process crashes on macOS that reference freed heap objects, which can indicate exploitation attempts or reliability issues tied to this class of bug

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor endpoint EDR telemetry for Chrome Browser process anomalies, including unexpected memory regions and code execution outside standard Chrome binaries
Track URL categories and reputation scores for pages visited immediately before suspicious Chrome behavior
Alert on any persistence mechanism installed by a user session shortly after Chrome activity on macOS

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-76040

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome on all macOS endpoints to version 151.0.7922.169 or later
Force-restart Chrome after applying the update to ensure the patched binary is loaded
Verify enterprise Chrome update policies are enabled and functioning across managed macOS fleets
Communicate phishing awareness reminders since exploitation requires user interaction with a crafted page

Patch Information

Google addressed CVE-2026-76040 in Chrome 151.0.7922.169 for macOS. Details are published in the Google Chrome Desktop Update advisory. Managed environments should push the update through MDM tooling such as Jamf, Kandji, or Intune for macOS.

Workarounds

No vendor-supplied workaround exists; applying the update is the only supported remediation
Restrict browsing to trusted domains through web filtering until the update is deployed
Deploy URL reputation and anti-phishing controls to reduce the likelihood of users reaching crafted pages
Consider temporarily standardizing macOS users on an alternative, patched browser if Chrome updates cannot be deployed immediately

bash

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

# Example Jamf policy trigger to force Chrome update
sudo jamf policy -event update-chrome