High

Use-after-free in Google Chrome Downloads on Mac

IdentifiersCVE-2026-8522CWE-416· Use After Free

CVE-2026-8522 is a critical use-after-free vulnerability in the Downloads component of Google Chrome on macOS. It affects Chrome versions prior to 148.0.7778.168 on Mac. According to the provided content, a remote attacker can trigger the flaw by luring a user to a crafted HTML page, resulting in memory corruption after an object in the Downloads component is freed and subsequently reused. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution in the browser context.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows remote arbitrary code execution. The provided CVSS v3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) indicates high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. In practical terms, exploitation could allow an attacker to run attacker-controlled code within the target's Chrome process after the victim opens a malicious HTML page.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Apply the vendor patch as soon as possible. Until patching is completed, reduce exposure by limiting access to untrusted or unsolicited HTML content, restricting browsing to untrusted sites, and using standard enterprise browser-hardening controls where available. However, no mitigation in the provided content is described as a complete substitute for updating to the fixed Chrome release.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Update Google Chrome on macOS to version 148.0.7778.168 or later. The provided content indicates the issue affects Chrome on Mac prior to 148.0.7778.168, so upgrading to the fixed release remediates the vulnerability.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

GoogleChromeapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

6 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

6 SOURCESView more in app

cyber security newsNews

May 15, 2026

79 Chrome Vulnerabilities Patched, Including 14 Critical One’s - Update Now!

A use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's Downloads component patched in Chrome 148.0.7778.167/168.

cvefeed high severityNews

May 14, 2026

CVE-2026-8522 - Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability in Downloads on Mac

A critical use-after-free vulnerability in the Downloads component of Google Chrome on Mac that could allow remote code execution via a crafted HTML page.

chrome releases blogNews

May 12, 2026

Chrome Releases: Stable Channel Update for Desktop

A critical use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome Downloads.

chrome releases blogNews

May 12, 2026

Chrome Releases: Stable Channel Update for Desktop

A critical use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome Downloads.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.

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Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity2

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES

MITRE CVE

cve.org · CVE-2026-8522

NVD

nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-8522

MITRE CWE · CWE-416

Use After Free

Vendor Advisory

chromereleases.googleblog.com/2026/05/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_12.html

Permissions Required

issues.chromium.org/issues/504185107