Google Chrome: Use-after-free in Animation component
Summary
A use-after-free vulnerability (CWE-416) in the Animation component of Google Chrome desktop allows a remote attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code inside the browser sandbox. The attacker needs a user to visit a crafted HTML page. NVD rates it CVSS 8.8 (High), while Chromium rates it Medium; the sandbox limits the impact, and no sandbox escape has been reported for this CVE.
Affected
- Google Chrome desktop prior to 156.0.8078.73 (per the CNA description)
- Note: the CNA's affected range is internally inconsistent, and VulDB lists a different range (up to 156.0.8078.47). Treat all builds before 156.0.8078.73 as affected.
Fixed in
- Chrome 156.0.8078.73 (Windows, Mac: 156.0.8078.73/.74; Linux: 156.0.8078.73), Stable update of 27 Oct 2026
- Later build: 156.0.8078.79/.80 (30 Oct 2026 update, reported by secondary sources; confirm on the vendor page)
- Android: 156.0.8078.73 (reported)
- ChromeOS: no matching Stable build confirmed at the time of the sources
- Microsoft Edge: fix announced as in progress; no confirmed build
- Ubuntu chromium-browser (snap): updates should be checked separately
Workaround
Unknown. No vendor workaround was found. The remedy is to update the browser.
Exploitation
- No evidence of exploitation in the wild as of 26 Oct 2026 (OffSeq).
- Not listed in CISA KEV.
- CISA SSVC: Exploitation none, Automatable no, Technical Impact total.
- No public proof of concept found; this does not guarantee that none exists.
- EPSS: 0.26 % (percentile 18).
Our recommendation
- Update all Google Chrome installations to the latest stable 156.x build without delay.
- Check and update Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge, and check ChromeOS and Android updates.
- Prioritise endpoints that browse untrusted websites.
- Review the other security fixes in the same release, which include Critical issues.
- Verify the installed version on each endpoint after the update.
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- Chrome Releases: Stable Channel Update for Desktop (27 Oct 2026) chromereleases.googleblog.com
- Chromium issue tracker issues.chromium.org
- VulDB: CVE-2026-118338 vuldb.com
- Ubuntu Security: CVE-2026-118338 ubuntu.com
- OffSeq Radar: CVE-2026-118338 radar.offseq.com
- Malwarebytes: Chrome and Firefox updates fix serious security flaws www.malwarebytes.com
- PiunikaWeb: Google Chrome 156 security update (30 Oct 2026) piunikaweb.com
- Sandbanks Digital: Chrome security update October 2026 sandbanksdigital.com
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 31 Oct 2026, 09:54.
Original description (NVD)
Use after free in Animation in Google Chrome prior to 156.0.8078.73 allowed a remote attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code inside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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