Google Patches Exploited Zero-Day Among 21 Vulnerabilities in Chrome 146
Google has released Chrome 146, patching 21 vulnerabilities including a zero-day flaw (CVE-2026-5281) that has been exploited in the wild, described as a use-after-free issue in the Dawn graphics layer.
Key Points
- Chrome 146 patches 21 vulnerabilities including an exploited zero-day
- CVE-2026-5281 is a use-after-free flaw in Chrome's Dawn graphics layer
- The zero-day was being actively exploited before the patch
- All vulnerabilities were reported in March 2026
Full Details
Google has issued the Chrome 146 update addressing 21 security vulnerabilities, including one critical zero-day vulnerability that was actively exploited before the patch was released. The exploited vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-5281, is a use-after-free flaw in Dawn, Chrome's graphics rendering layer. Use-after-free vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous as they can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code by exploiting memory that has been improperly deallocated. Google has not disclosed details about the attacks that exploited this vulnerability or the threat actors involved. All 21 vulnerabilities patched in this update were reported by security researchers in March 2026, and Google has not yet determined the bug bounty amounts to be paid to the reporters. Users are strongly advised to update to Chrome 146 immediately to protect against potential exploits.
Why It Matters
The presence of an exploited zero-day in a widely-used browser like Chrome highlights the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between security researchers and threat actors, emphasizing the importance of prompt patching.
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