CVE-2026-5281: Google Dawn Use-After-Free Vulnerability

What is known

Use after free in Dawn in Google Chrome prior to 146.0.7680.178 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-5281, a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) affecting Dawn, may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the vulnerable environment. The exact impact depends on the installed version, exposed interfaces and deployment configuration. CISA lists this vulnerability in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, so exposed systems should be treated as a priority.

Recommended administrator action

Confirm whether Dawn is present and compare installed versions with the vendor advisory and NVD record. Apply the vendor patch or documented mitigation; until remediation is complete, reduce exposure of affected interfaces, review relevant logs and monitor for indicators of exploitation. Where applicable, include the CISA KEV remediation due date of 2026-04-15 in the change plan. DataHouse can support version verification, managed patching, network exposure reduction, log review and backup validation for dedicated, cloud and colocated environments.

Sources

• NVD
• CISA KEV
• Reference
• Reference
• Reference