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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Chrome

CVE-2020-16040: Insufficient data validation in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 87.0.4280.88 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption…

MediumCVSS 6.5 · v3.1—Weaponized Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: This week (action score 60/100)

  • A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
  • A ready-made attack tool exists and the flaw can be exploited over the network without an account, so priority is at least “This week”.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 99.5% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.9% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: chromium (Debian:12) 87.0.4280.88-0.1; chromium (openSUSE:Leap 15.1) 87.0.4280.88-lp151.2.162.1; opera (openSUSE:Leap 15.1 NonFree) 73.0.3856.284-lp151.2.39.1.

Don’t wait for the next maintenance window. Upgrade to chromium (Debian:12) 87.0.4280.88-0.1; chromium (openSUSE:Leap 15.1) 87.0.4280.88-lp151.2.162.1; opera (openSUSE:Leap 15.1 NonFree) 73.0.3856.284-lp151.2.39.1 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

Insufficient data validation in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 87.0.4280.88 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.

Published
Jan 8, 2021
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
99.5% · 99th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

60

This week

Don’t wait for the next maintenance window.

CVSS
26 / 40 · 6.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
30 / 30 · 99.5%
Ready-made attack tool
4 / 60 · floor: at least 60

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • Weaponized exploit exists
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2020-16040

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
googlechrome

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Chrome). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Google Chrome

    • unspecified and later · before 87.0.4280.88affected

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • google chromebefore 87.0.4280.88

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12chromiumbefore 87.0.4280.88-0.187.0.4280.88-0.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.1chromiumbefore 87.0.4280.88-lp151.2.162.187.0.4280.88-lp151.2.162.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.1 NonFreeoperabefore 73.0.3856.284-lp151.2.39.173.0.3856.284-lp151.2.39.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2chromiumbefore 87.0.4280.88-lp152.2.57.187.0.4280.88-lp152.2.57.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2 NonFreeoperabefore 73.0.3856.284-lp152.2.27.173.0.3856.284-lp152.2.27.1
SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1chromiumbefore 87.0.4280.88-bp151.3.147.187.0.4280.88-bp151.3.147.1
SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP2chromiumbefore 87.0.4280.88-bp152.2.44.187.0.4280.88-bp152.2.44.1

Same product

google: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2023-4863Heap buffer overflow in libwebp in Google Chrome prior to 116.0.5845.187 and libwebp 1.3.2 allowed a remote attacker to perform an out of…KEV
    95Now
  • CVE-2021-21224Type confusion in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 90.0.4430.85 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside a sandbox via a…KEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2018-17463Incorrect side effect annotation in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 70.0.3538.64 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside a…KEV
    90Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2020-16038Jan 8, 2021 · Use after free in media in Google Chrome on OS X prior to 87.0.4280.88 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via…
    35Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2020-16039Jan 8, 2021 · Use after free in extensions in Google Chrome prior to 87.0.4280.88 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a…
    35Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2020-16041Jan 8, 2021 · Out of bounds read in networking in Google Chrome prior to 87.0.4280.88 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process…
    33Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
debian:chromium87.0.4280.88-0.1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:chromium87.0.4280.88-lp152.2.57.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:opera73.0.3856.284-lp151.2.39.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.1 NonFreePackage registry (OSV)
suse:chromium87.0.4280.88-bp152.2.44.1 · SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP2Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Weaponized

A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.

Evidence

  • Metasploit module ×1
  • Exploit-DB entry ×1

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Exploit-DB entryremote2021-04-06
Metasploit moduleexploit/multi/browser/chrome_simplifiedlowering_overflowGoogle Chrome versions before 87.0.4280.88 integer overflow during SimplfiedLowering phaseexploit2020-11-19

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. Metasploit-51 d
  2. Published
  3. First PoC+87 d
  4. TodayNov 12, 2026+2134 d

Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • A user must open a link or visit a page.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-20 · Improper Input Validation

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

References

Show all references (1 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records