CVE-2026-18012

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Use After Free in PDFium in Google Chrome

Publication date: 2026-07-30

Last updated on: 2026-07-31

Assigner: Chrome

Description

Use after free in PDFium in Google Chrome prior to 151.0.7922.72 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside a sandbox via a crafted PDF file. (Chromium security severity: Low)

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-07-30

Last Modified

2026-07-31

Generated

2026-08-19

AI Q&A

2026-07-30

EPSS Evaluated

2026-08-18

NVD

CVE-2026-18012

EUVD

EUVD-2026-50938

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
google	chrome	to 151.0.7922.72 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-416	The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a use-after-free issue in PDFium, which is the PDF rendering engine used by Google Chrome. A use-after-free occurs when a program tries to use memory that has already been freed, potentially leading to crashes or arbitrary code execution. In this case, a remote attacker could exploit this by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted PDF file, which could allow code execution within the Chrome sandbox.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to Google Chrome versions prior to 151.0.7922.72 and involves a use-after-free issue in PDFium. Detection should focus on identifying outdated Chrome versions or suspicious PDF processing activities. Check Chrome version with: google-chrome --version. If version is below 151.0.7922.72, update immediately. Monitor for crashes or unusual behavior when handling PDF files.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to run malicious code on your computer. However, because it is contained within Chrome's sandbox, the impact is limited to the browser's environment. The attacker would need to trick you into opening a malicious PDF file, which could lead to system instability or unauthorized actions within the browser.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards. It is a use-after-free issue in PDFium within Google Chrome that could allow remote code execution via a crafted PDF file. Compliance impacts would depend on how the vulnerability is exploited in a specific environment.

Mitigation Strategies

Update Google Chrome to version 151.0.7922.72 or later to address the use after free vulnerability in PDFium.

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