Update Chrome now to protect against an actively exploited vulnerability
Google shipped Chrome 153.0.8010.36/.37 fixing 230 flaws including actively exploited V8 out-of-bounds write CVE-2026-87491 enabling sandboxed code execution.
Chrome stable channel updated to 153.0.8010.36/.37 for Windows and Mac and 153.0.8010.36 for Linux, including 230 security fixes. CVE-2026-87491 is an out-of-bounds write in Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine that a crafted HTML page can exploit to execute arbitrary code inside the browser sandbox; Google rates it medium severity, but it is confirmed as actively exploited. The update also fixes five Critical vulnerabilities, four of which were found in WebGL. Users should update via Settings > About Chrome and restart the browser.
China-Linked Hackers Chain Chrome Zero-Day With Windows Kernel Flaw in Attacks
Volexity reports China-linked UTA0560 and JungleBamboo chained Chrome zero-day CVE-2026-85046 with kernel flaws to spy on NGOs.
Volexity documented campaigns detected on September 1, 2026, in which China-linked actors UTA0560 and JungleBamboo (APT31) chained CVE-2026-85046 (V8 type confusion), CVE-2026-87491 (WebAssembly sandbox escape), and CVE-2026-85880 (Windows kernel privilege escalation in RtlpCreateServerAcl). Victims were lured via links on legitimate U.S. university sites vulnerable to reflected XSS, then served hidden exploit iframes behind a donation-form image. Although a V8 fix had landed in Chromium's source after private August reporting, Chrome had not yet shipped it, creating a patch gap the actors exploited. The two groups installed distinct payloads: UTA0560 delivered the GRIMWEDGE JScript backdoor via DLL side-loading, while JungleBamboo used the SUPERSTOMP loader to install the LONGTALE credential-stealing Chrome extension disguised as Google Gemini.
Four Nation-State Actors Used the Same Chrome Zero-Day Exploit Kit Within 12 Days
Proofpoint reports four nation-state actors, mostly China-nexus, adopted the BlueMoon Chrome and Windows zero-day exploit kit within 12 days, targeting US organizations.
Proofpoint tracked an exploit kit dubbed BlueMoon that chains CVE-2026-85046, a Chrome V8 type-confusion bug, with an unnamed V8 sandbox escape and CVE-2026-85880, a Windows kernel privilege escalation using ALPC and the Windows Notification Facility. The first observed use was by China-nexus TA412 (APT31, Violet Typhoon, JungleBamboo) on August 28, 2026 against US NGOs, mining companies, and commodity trading firms, followed by UNK_LateNight targeting US aerospace and defense companies on September 2. Both V8 bugs were patch-gap zero-days: the fix was committed to Chromium on August 7 but reached stable Chrome on September 3, enabling rapid weaponization from public patches. TA412's post-exploitation payload, GemStone, is a malicious browser extension posing as an AI-powered Google Gemini companion that captures keystrokes, cookies, screenshots, and browsing history via a Cloudflare Worker C2.
Two critical Chrome flaws put users at risk on malicious websites
Google patched 26 Chrome flaws, including two critical use-after-frees and an actively exploited V8 sandbox escape (CVE-2026-85046); update to 152.0.7977.82/.83.
Chrome's desktop update fixes 26 security issues, including critical use-after-free flaws CVE-2026-84353 in Shared Tab Groups and CVE-2026-84352 in WebGL, both allowing code execution outside the browser sandbox via crafted HTML pages. Google subsequently patched CVE-2026-85046, a high-severity V8 JavaScript engine flaw with exploits already in the wild that enables arbitrary code execution inside the Chrome sandbox; HKCERT rates the overall risk as extremely high. Fixed versions are 152.0.7977.82/.83 on Windows and Mac and 152.0.7977.82 on Linux.
Attackers are weaponizing the gap between Chromium fixes and Chrome patches
Espionage actors use the BlueMoon exploit kit to chain Chrome V8 and Windows kernel zero-days via spear phishing, gaining full admin on unpatched endpoints.
Proofpoint, working with Google Threat Intelligence Group, Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center and Volexity, reports that the BlueMoon exploit kit chains V8 type confusion CVE-2026-85046, V8 sandbox escape CVE-2026-87491 and Windows kernel LPE CVE-2026-85880, all rated high severity. The V8 flaws were fixed in upstream Chromium source but had not yet reached Chrome stable releases, creating a patch gap that attackers reverse-engineered and weaponized. A China-aligned state-sponsored actor used the kit from August 28 against a small number of US NGOs, mining and commodity trading firms via rapport-building spear phishing, and within days several mostly China-linked espionage clusters adopted BlueMoon. The chain yields full Windows admin privileges from a single phishing click; defenders should patch Chrome and Windows, apply Proofpoint detections and hunt for leftover artifacts.
China-Linked Hackers Exploit Chrome and Windows Zero-Days in BlueMoon Attacks
China-linked clusters deploy the BlueMoon kit chaining Chrome V8 CVE-2026-85046 and Windows LPE CVE-2026-85880 in espionage campaigns.
Proofpoint researchers identified BlueMoon, an exploit kit combining a V8 type-confusion RCE (CVE-2026-85046), a V8 sandbox escape, and a Windows kernel privilege-escalation flaw (CVE-2026-85880), first observed August 28, 2026. At least four clusters adopted it, led by TA412 (also tracked as APT31/Violet Typhoon) and followed by UNK_LateNight, UNK_DoubleCheck, and UNK_QuietRacket, targeting aerospace, manufacturing, government, consulting, and financial sectors. The kit exploited a nearly four-week patch gap between the public Chromium commit (August 7) and stable rollout (September 3). TA412 delivered the GemStone Chrome extension masquerading as a Gemini companion, while other clusters deployed ShadowPad via DLL sideloading, a Rust loader, and DoH-based C2.
Google fixes the seventh actively exploited Chrome zero-day of 2026
Google patched 230 Chrome flaws in version 153.0.8010.36, including actively exploited V8 out-of-bounds write CVE-2026-87491 (CVSS 8.8), the seventh 2026 Chrome zero-day.
Google released Chrome 153.0.8010.36 on Linux and 153.0.8010.36/.37 on Windows and Mac, fixing 230 security vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-87491, an out-of-bounds write in the V8 JavaScript and WebAssembly engine (CVSS 8.8), is being exploited in the wild through specially crafted HTML pages to execute arbitrary code inside Chrome's sandbox. Google says it is the seventh actively exploited Chrome zero-day of 2026, following CVE-2026-2441, CVE-2026-3909, CVE-2026-3910, CVE-2026-5281, CVE-2026-11645, and CVE-2026-85046. Researcher Jihyeon Jeong of Seoul National University reported it on 2026-08-06 and received a $2,500 bounty; Google disclosed no technical details or attribution.
Google Chrome 153 Released With 230 Security Fixes and Zero-Day Exploited in the Wild
Google released Chrome 153 with 230 security fixes, patching CVE-2026-87491, a V8 out-of-bounds write zero-day actively exploited in the wild.
Google shipped Chrome 153 (153.0.8010.36/.37) for Windows, macOS, and Linux with 230 security fixes, including CVE-2026-87491, a medium-severity V8 out-of-bounds write being exploited in the wild. The release also fixes five critical vulnerabilities: four in WebGL (two use-after-frees, an out-of-bounds write, a buffer overflow) and one use-after-free in Cast. High-severity V8 use-after-free and type-confusion defects are among the fixes, and Google has restricted technical details until most users are patched. Administrators should verify deployed versions on managed endpoints, as Chrome-derived browsers may follow different patch schedules.
Chrome 153 Patches Seventh Zero-Day of 2026
Google patches Chrome V8 zero-day CVE-2026-87491, exploited in the wild, marking the seventh exploited Chrome zero-day of 2026, in an update fixing 230 flaws.
Google released Chrome 153 with fixes for 230 vulnerabilities, including CVE-2026-87491, a medium-severity out-of-bounds write in the V8 JavaScript and WebAssembly engine that Google says is being exploited in the wild. It is the seventh zero-day patched in Chrome in 2026, following CVE-2026-2441, CVE-2026-3909, CVE-2026-3910, CVE-2026-5281, CVE-2026-11645 and CVE-2026-85046. The update also fixes five critical bugs (four in WebGL, one in Cast), 41 high-severity defects, and more than 180 medium/low issues, rolling out as 153.0.8010.36/.37 for Windows/macOS and 153.0.8010.36 for Linux.
Google fixes yet another actively exploited Chrome zero-day (CVE-2026-87491)
Google patched actively exploited Chrome zero-day CVE-2026-87491, a V8 out-of-bounds write enabling sandboxed code execution, in Chrome 153.0.8010.36+.
Google fixed 230 Chrome vulnerabilities including CVE-2026-87491, a Medium-severity out-of-bounds write in the V8 JavaScript and WebAssembly engine that allows remote arbitrary code execution inside the sandbox via a crafted HTML page. Google confirmed an exploit exists in the wild; fixes shipped in Chrome 153.0.8010.36 and .37 for Windows and macOS and 153.0.8010.36 for Linux. The flaw was reported August 6, 2026 by Jihyeon Jeong of Seoul National University's Compsec Lab, earning a $2,500 bounty. It is the seventh actively exploited Chrome zero-day patched in 2026, following CVE-2026-2441, CVE-2026-3909, CVE-2026-3910, CVE-2026-5281, CVE-2026-11645 and CVE-2026-85046.
Multiple Chinese hacking groups seen using identical Chrome zero-day exploit
Four China-linked espionage groups share identical BlueMoon Chrome zero-day exploit kit targeting US defense contractors and Asian government agencies.
Proofpoint identified at least four Chinese-aligned espionage groups (TA412/RedBravo, UNK_LateNight, UNK_DoubleCheck, UNK_QuietRacket) using an identical Chrome zero-day exploit kit dubbed BlueMoon in late August through this week. Targets include US defense contractors, NGOs, mining companies, and Southeast Asian government agencies. The exploit chains a Chromium patch-gap vulnerability with a Windows flaw, delivering malware such as ShadowPad and a fake Gemini browser extension backdoor, with possible AI-assisted exploit development.
Google fixes the sixth actively exploited Chrome zero
Google patched 12 Chrome flaws including actively exploited V8 type confusion zero-day CVE-2026-85046 (CVSS 8.8), enabling sandboxed remote code execution via crafted webpages.
Google released Chrome Stable 152.0.7977.82/.83 for Windows and Mac and 152.0.7977.82 for Linux, fixing 12 vulnerabilities including CVE-2026-85046, a type confusion in V8 with a CVSS score of 8.8. Google says an exploit exists in the wild, making this the sixth actively exploited Chrome zero-day of 2026. The bug affects the JavaScript and WebAssembly engine and allows arbitrary code execution inside the browser sandbox via a specially crafted HTML page. Researcher Salvatore Gulizia (Serotav) reported the flaw on August 4, 2026 and received a $1,000 bounty.