Remote code execution via JIT sign-extension error
Published Apr 26, 2021 · Updated Oct 21, 2025
Improper input validation in V8 in Google Chrome before 89.0.4389.128 allows remote attackers to execute code via crafted HTML. V8's x64 optimizer removes a no-op XOR without preserving its signed result type, causing VisitChangeInt32ToInt64 to zero-extend an unsigned value instead of sign-extending it. A victim must load attacker-controlled HTML on an x86_64 build; the demonstrated primitive executes code in the renderer, without a documented sandbox escape.
Summary
What happened
Improper input validation in V8 in Google Chrome before 89.0.4389.128 allows remote attackers to execute code via crafted HTML. V8's x64 optimizer removes a no-op XOR without preserving its signed result type, causing VisitChangeInt32ToInt64 to zero-extend an unsigned value instead of sign-extending it. A victim must load attacker-controlled HTML on an x86_64 build; the demonstrated primitive executes code in the renderer, without a documented sandbox escape.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-21220
- Published
- Apr 26, 2021
- Updated
- Oct 21, 2025
- Vendor
- Google Cloud
- Product
- Google Chrome
- Classifications
- CWE-787, T1203
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 26, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 2021Exploitation reportedCISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog listing
- Oct 21, 2025Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <89.0.4389.128
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Public exploit references
- ZDI V8 JIT-to-RCE exploit demonstrationfunctional · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog listingknown exploited catalog
- Google reports in-the-wild exploitationreported exploitation
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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