Introduction
Heap corruption in a widely deployed browser component can open the door to remote code execution. CVE-2025-10500, a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's Dawn WebGPU implementation, shows how much risk sits in modern browser graphics subsystems. This brief summary covers the technical details, affected versions, and patch information that security professionals need to assess and reduce their exposure.
Technical Information
CVE-2025-10500 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Dawn component of Google Chrome's WebGPU implementation. The flaw is classified as CWE-416 and has a CVSS score of 8.8. Dawn is the abstraction layer between web applications and GPU hardware. It translates WebGPU calls into platform-specific GPU API calls.
The bug is in Dawn's memory management, which does not correctly track object lifecycles. After certain WebGPU operations, memory may be freed while dangling pointers can still reach it. An attacker can exploit this with a crafted HTML page that triggers the vulnerable code path and makes the browser access freed memory. That can lead to heap corruption and, depending on how much control the attacker has over memory layout, arbitrary code execution. The attack vector is remote, and the only requirement is that a user visits a malicious web page.
No public code snippets or detailed proof of concept have been released for this vulnerability. Security researcher Giunash discovered the issue and received a $15,000 reward for the responsible disclosure.
Patch Information
Google has fixed the use-after-free in the Dawn graphics abstraction layer in Chrome version 140.0.7339.185/.186 for Windows and Mac, and 140.0.7339.185 for Linux. The update corrects the memory management flaw that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code. Users should update their browsers promptly to get the fix.
Reference: Chrome Releases: Stable Channel Update for Desktop
Affected Systems and Versions
- Google Chrome versions prior to 140.0.7339.185 on Linux
- Google Chrome versions prior to 140.0.7339.185/.186 on Windows and Mac
- Only systems running affected versions with WebGPU enabled are vulnerable
Vendor Security History
Google Chrome has a long history of responding quickly to security vulnerabilities, backed by a mature bug bounty program. Chrome's graphics and rendering subsystems have had similar use-after-free and memory safety issues in the past. Google typically releases patches within days of disclosure, and Chrome's auto-update mechanism means most users are protected quickly. The Dawn WebGPU component is a newer addition to Chrome, and its complexity has led to several memory management issues that have been reported and fixed as the codebase matures.
