CVE-2020-16038Network attack vector

Heap corruption via media use after free

Published Jan 8, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Use after free in Google Chrome's media component before 87.0.4280.88 allows remote attackers to corrupt heap memory through crafted HTML. The media code reuses an object after its lifetime ends, but Google has not disclosed the object, responsible routine, or triggering media path. A user must load the page on macOS; successful exploitation corrupts browser-process heap memory, with no more specific outcome publicly documented.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability1.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use after free in Google Chrome's media component before 87.0.4280.88 allows remote attackers to corrupt heap memory through crafted HTML. The media code reuses an object after its lifetime ends, but Google has not disclosed the object, responsible routine, or triggering media path. A user must load the page on macOS; successful exploitation corrupts browser-process heap memory, with no more specific outcome publicly documented.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-16038
Published
Jan 8, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Google Chrome
Classifications
CWE-787, CWE-416, T1203
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

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 <87.0.4280.88

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Google Chromeversion=unspecified <87.0.4280.88

Published CVSS scores

9.3NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
8.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
CWE-416Use After Free
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution

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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