CVE-2026-9898: Insufficient validation of untrusted input in GPU in Google Chrome on Android prior to 148

Synopsis

This is an insufficient input validation vulnerability in the GPU component of Google Chrome on Android, affecting versions prior to 148.0.7778.216. The flaw is reachable over the network but requires the attacker to have already compromised the Chrome renderer process and to trick the user into visiting a crafted HTML page. Successful exploitation allows a full sandbox escape, giving the attacker code execution outside the browser sandbox with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. A patched-image rebuild at version 148.0.7778.216 is available on HarborGuard for affected environments.

HarborGuard Coverage

Exploit Conditions

• Network reachabilityRequired

  The attacker must deliver a crafted HTML page over the network to a target running the affected Chrome version on Android.

• AuthenticationNot required

  No account or credential is needed to serve the malicious page; any unauthenticated remote attacker can attempt delivery.

• Victim interactionRequired

  The target user must navigate to or be social-engineered into loading a specially crafted HTML page in the affected browser.

• Attack complexityDetail

  Exploitation is high complexity because the attacker must first have compromised the Chrome renderer process before attempting the GPU sandbox escape, introducing a significant precondition.

Blast Radius

• A successful attacker escapes the Chrome browser sandbox on the target Android device, gaining code execution in a more privileged context outside the renderer.
• With high confidentiality impact, the attacker reads data accessible beyond the sandbox boundary, including session tokens, credentials, and on-device storage.
• With high integrity impact, the attacker modifies files, application data, or system state outside the browser sandbox.
• With high availability impact, the attacker disrupts or crashes processes and services on the affected device beyond the browser itself.