CVE-2026-4441
Published: 20 March 2026
Summary
CVE-2026-4441 is a high-severity Use After Free (CWE-416) vulnerability in Google Chrome. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Drive-by Compromise (T1189); ranked at the 23.3th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SC-39 (Process Isolation) and SI-16 (Memory Protection).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2026-4441 is a use-after-free vulnerability (CWE-416) in the Base component of Google Chrome prior to version 146.0.7680.153. The flaw enables a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. Chromium security rates it as Critical, with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
A remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability over the network without user privileges by luring a target into interacting with a malicious site, such as by visiting a crafted HTML page. Successful exploitation could result in high-impact compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, potentially allowing heap corruption leading to arbitrary code execution.
Google addressed the vulnerability in Chrome stable channel version 146.0.7680.153. Security practitioners should prioritize updating affected systems to this version or later. Additional details are available in the Chrome Releases blog at https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2026/03/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_18.html and the Chromium issue tracker at https://issues.chromium.org/issues/489381399.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-13449
Vulnerability details
Use after free in Base 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: Critical)
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
The vulnerability is a client-side use-after-free in Chrome exploitable via a crafted HTML page, directly facilitating drive-by compromise (T1189) and exploitation for client execution (T1203).
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
SI-2 requires timely remediation of flaws like this use-after-free vulnerability by applying the Chrome patch to version 146.0.7680.153 or later, directly eliminating the exploitable condition.
SI-16 employs memory protection mechanisms such as ASLR and DEP that directly mitigate use-after-free heap corruption vulnerabilities in browser components.
SC-39 enforces process isolation via browser sandboxing, preventing exploitation of the Base component UAF from compromising the entire system.