---
id: "CVE-2026-5281"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-5281"]
title: "Use after free in Dawn in Google Chrome prior to 146.0.7680.178 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the\u2026"
severity: "high"
cvss: 8.8
epss: null
exploited: true
status: "open"
category: "vendor"
products: [{"name": "Google Dawn", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "google chrome", "fixed": ["146.0.7680.177"], "affected": "< 146.0.7680.177", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: ["vendor"]
tags: ["browsers", "chrome", "chromium", "edge", "exploited", "opera", "vendor"]
not_affected_if: ["unpatched-browser-not-used"]
published_at: "2026-04-01T00:00:00+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T23:44:51+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "kev", "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2026-5281", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"}, {"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-5281", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T23:44:51+00:00"}]
---

# Use after free in Dawn in Google Chrome prior to 146.0.7680.178 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the…

Google Dawn, the WebGPU implementation inside Chromium-based browsers, has a use-after-free bug that lets a remote attacker who already controls the renderer process run arbitrary code via a crafted HTML page. CISA reports this CVE is being exploited in the wild.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- vendor:Google Dawn affected ? fixed ?
- vendor:google chrome affected < 146.0.7680.177 fixed 146.0.7680.177

## How to check

Check the installed browser version (for example chrome://version in Chrome or edge://version in Edge) and compare it against the vendor's fixed release.

## Fix

Update Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera and other Chromium-based browsers to the vendor's patched release; CISA says to apply vendor mitigations or discontinue use if none are available.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00 kev https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2026-5281
- 2026-10-23T23:44:51+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-5281

## From the sources

Google Dawn contains an use-after-free vulnerability that could allow a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTML page. This vulnerability could affect multiple Chromium-based products including, but not limited to, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Opera.

CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_