VulnerabilityPublished 20 Mar 2026Updated 21 Mar 2026

CVE-2026-4445: Google Chrome · Use After Free

Affects Google ChromeSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.8 High : upgrade to 146.0.7680.153 soon.

Data as of 31 Oct 2026, 20:20 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

8.8High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 18% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 146.0.7680.153

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 Mar 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 31 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade Google Chrome to 146.0.7680.153.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
GoogleChrome	Affected >=146.0.7680.153 <146.0.7680.153	Fixed in 146.0.7680.153

AI-suggested

Immediate patching: Organizations must update all Google Chrome installations to version 146.0.7680.153 or later to remediate the vulnerability.
WebRTC usage control: Where possible, restrict or disable WebRTC functionality in Chrome via browser policies or extensions, especially in high-risk environments.
User awareness training: Educate users about the risks of interacting with untrusted websites and phishing attempts that could exploit this vulnerability.
Network-level protections: Employ web filtering and intrusion prevention systems to block access to known malicious sites that could host exploit pages.
Browser hardening: Enable Chrome’s security features such as site isolation, sandboxing, and strict content security policies to reduce exploitation impact.
Monitoring and detection: Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify suspicious browser behavior indicative of exploitation attempts.
Incident response readiness: Prepare to respond to potential exploitation incidents with forensic capabilities and containment procedures.
Verify patch deployment: Use centralized management tools to ensure all endpoints have received and applied the Chrome update promptly. These measures, combined with timely patching, provide a layered defense against exploitation of this use-after-free vulnerability.

Description

Use after free in WebRTC in Google Chrome prior to 146.0.7680.153 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)

Impact

The impact of CVE-2026-4445 is substantial for organizations worldwide due to the ubiquity of Google Chrome as a web browser and the increasing reliance on WebRTC for real-time communications in business, teleconferencing, and collaboration tools. Exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution, enabling attackers to install malware, steal sensitive information, or disrupt services. This compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems. Enterprises with remote or hybrid workforces using Chrome for communication are particularly vulnerable. The vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks or widespread phishing campaigns to compromise endpoints. Additionally, sectors relying heavily on secure communications, such as finance, healthcare, and government, face elevated risks. The requirement for user interaction limits automated exploitation but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments where users frequently access untrusted web content. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate threat but does not preclude future active exploitation. Failure to patch promptly could lead to significant data breaches, operational disruptions, and reputational damage.

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 27 Mar 2026, 19:25 UTC

Technical details

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