CVE-2020-16021Network attack vector

OS-level privilege escalation via ImageBurner race

Published Jan 8, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

A race condition in Google Chrome before 87.0.4280.66 on ChromeOS allows remote attackers to gain OS-level privileges via a malicious file. Google identifies the affected locus only as ImageBurner and has not disclosed which shared resource or operation is improperly synchronized. Exploitation requires prior compromise of the browser process and is bounded to privilege escalation on the ChromeOS host.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.63%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A race condition in Google Chrome before 87.0.4280.66 on ChromeOS allows remote attackers to gain OS-level privileges via a malicious file. Google identifies the affected locus only as ImageBurner and has not disclosed which shared resource or operation is improperly synchronized. Exploitation requires prior compromise of the browser process and is bounded to privilege escalation on the ChromeOS host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-16021
Published
Jan 8, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Google Chrome
Classifications
CWE-362, T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 8, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <87.0.4280.66

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Google Chromeversion=unspecified <87.0.4280.66

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.1NIST NVDAV:N/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-362Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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