External risk intelligence

ANGLE Use After Free Vulnerability in Chrome Allows Sandbox Escape

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.6)

CVE-2026-14425

This vulnerability exists within a web browser's graphics library (ANGLE). Exploitation requires a user to navigate to a specifically crafted HTML page. It is a client-side vulnerability that is not public-internet-facing by design and lacks a persistent, reachable network service or management interface.

Use After Free

Google Chrome

before 150.0.7871.46

Halo Surface Signal: 1 out of 5 — much less likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A security vulnerability has been identified in ANGLE, a graphics component used by Google Chrome. This issue could potentially allow an attacker to escape the browser's security sandbox by tricking a user into visiting a malicious webpage. While the severity is high, the attack vector requires user interaction and does not directly expose a network service.

Browser graphics flaw risks sandbox escape.
Confirms relevance and exposure for security teams.
Focus on user interaction to confirm exposure.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker could trick a user into visiting a malicious web page. This page would exploit a flaw in the browser's graphics processing, potentially allowing the attacker to break out of the browser's security sandbox and gain broader access to the system.

Requires user to visit malicious page.
Vulnerability triggered by crafted HTML.
Risk of sandbox escape.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

A use-after-free vulnerability in ANGLE, a graphics engine used by Google Chrome, could allow an attacker to escape the browser's sandbox. This may occur when a user visits a malicious HTML page, potentially leading to the compromise of system resources beyond the browser's isolation.

Browser sandbox escape.
Via a crafted HTML page.
System resource compromise.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

This vulnerability resides within the ANGLE graphics library used by Google Chrome. Responsibility for remediation typically falls to the platform or infrastructure teams managing the browser deployments, with input from the security team for risk assessment and vendor management if custom browser builds are in use. The first practical step is to identify all Chrome instances, confirm their exposure to user interaction via crafted HTML, and then prioritize remediation based on the identified user base and potential business criticality.

Platform/infrastructure teams own the issue.
Verify browser reachability and user interaction.
Plan risk-based remediation actions.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the ANGLE component in Google Chrome?

ANGLE is a graphics abstraction layer used by Chrome to translate graphics calls from web content into formats the underlying operating system can understand. It acts as a bridge between the browser's rendering engine and the computer's hardware, ensuring consistent performance for web-based 3D graphics and animations across different platforms.

What does the CWE-416 Use After Free weakness mean for CVE-2026-14425?

A Use After Free vulnerability occurs when software continues to use a memory location after it has been explicitly cleared or freed. In the context of this CVE, it means the graphics engine improperly handles memory during complex operations. An attacker can manipulate this state to bypass security controls, such as the browser sandbox, by substituting the freed memory with malicious data.

How is this browser vulnerability triggered?

The vulnerability is triggered when a user visits a specifically crafted HTML page designed to exploit the memory handling flaw. It is important to note that simply having Chrome installed or open does not trigger this issue; the exploit path strictly requires the user to load and render the malicious web content, which then causes the improper graphics memory operation.

Is my system at high risk according to Halo Surface Signal?

Halo Surface Signal notes that this vulnerability is very unlikely to pose an immediate risk because it is a client-side issue rather than a public-facing network service. Since it lacks a reachable management interface and relies entirely on user interaction with a malicious site, standard internet-facing network scanning will not typically surface this exposure.

Do I need to take action if I use Google Chrome?

Yes, you should ensure your Chrome browser is updated to version 150.0.7871.46 or later. Your primary step is to identify your browser deployments and verify they have received the latest security patches from the vendor. Because this flaw requires user interaction, prioritizing systems used by individuals who frequently navigate to diverse or unknown web pages is a practical way to manage the risk.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.