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CVE-2026-9994 is a high-severity use-after-free vulnerability identified in the Core component of Google Chrome on the Windows platform. This memory corruption flaw exists in Chrome versions prior to 148.0.7778.216 and allows a remote attacker who has already compromised the renderer process to potentially escape the browser’s sandbox via a specially crafted HTML page.
The vulnerability stems from a use-after-free (CWE-416) error within Chrome’s Core component, which is responsible for page rendering and JavaScript engine scheduling. In affected versions, memory is improperly managed such that it continues to be referenced after it has been freed. At some point after the memory is freed, it may be reallocated and saved to a new pointer, while the original pointer still references a location within the newly allocated memory. Any operations performed using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory now belongs to the code operating on the new allocation, leading to memory corruption and potentially arbitrary code execution.
To trigger the vulnerability, an attacker first needs to compromise the renderer process—a Chrome process responsible for parsing and executing web content. Once the renderer is compromised, the attacker can serve a malicious HTML page that triggers the use-after-free condition. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to break out of the Chrome sandbox, a security mechanism designed to isolate the renderer process from the underlying operating system. A sandbox escape grants the attacker the ability to execute code with browser-level privileges, potentially accessing system resources and files outside the sandboxed environment.
The vulnerability was patched in Chrome version 148.0.7778.216. Google assigned a Chromium security severity of High to this issue, and the CISA-ADP has rated it with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.3 (High), with the vector: AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. The NVD published the CVE on May 28, 2026, and the vulnerability was last modified on June 17, 2026. No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently available.
DailyCVE Form:
Platform: Windows
Version: < 148.0.7778.216
Vulnerability: Use After Free
Severity: High (8.3 CVSS)
date: May 28, 2026
Prediction: Patch already available (148.0.7778.216)
What Undercode Say:
Check Chrome version:
chrome://version
Verify update status (Windows):
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Google\Update\Clients{8A69D345-D564-463C-AFF1-A69D9E530F96}" /v pv
Check for installed patches via PowerShell:
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_QuickFixEngineering | Where-Object { $_.Description -like "Chrome" }
Exploit: (Educational Purposes!)
A remote attacker who has compromised the renderer process can craft an HTML page that triggers the use-after-free condition in Core. The exploit leverages the dangling pointer to corrupt memory and redirect execution flow, ultimately breaking the sandbox. No public exploit code is available. This description is for educational purposes only.
Protection:
- Update Google Chrome to version 148.0.7778.216 or later immediately
- Enable automatic updates in Chrome settings
- Restrict user access to untrusted websites
- Monitor for signs of renderer process compromise as part of a defense-in-depth strategy
- Consider using endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect suspicious browser behavior
Impact:
Successful exploitation allows an attacker who has already compromised the renderer process to escape the Chrome sandbox and execute arbitrary code with browser-level privileges. This can lead to:
– Unauthorized access to system files and resources outside the sandbox
– Privilege escalation on the affected Windows system
– Potential lateral movement within the network
– Full compromise of the browser’s security boundaries
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Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
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