CVE-2020-16039
📋 TL;DR
This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's extensions component that allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption. Attackers can trigger this by tricking users into visiting a malicious HTML page. All Chrome users prior to version 87.0.4280.88 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Google Chrome
📦 What is this software?
Chrome by Google
Google Chrome is the world's most popular web browser, used by over 3 billion users globally across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS platforms. As a Chromium-based browser developed by Google, Chrome dominates the browser market with approximately 65% market share, making it a critical compon...
Learn more about Chrome →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to full system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Browser crash, memory corruption, or limited code execution within Chrome's sandbox.
If Mitigated
No impact if Chrome is fully patched or if exploit attempts are blocked by security controls.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user interaction (visiting malicious page) but no authentication. Heap corruption exploitation requires additional techniques.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 87.0.4280.88
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2020/12/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Chrome. 2. Click menu (three dots) > Help > About Google Chrome. 3. Chrome will automatically check for and install updates. 4. Click 'Relaunch' to restart Chrome.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Chrome Extensions
allTemporarily disable all extensions to reduce attack surface
chrome://extensions/ > toggle off all extensions
Use Chrome Sandbox
allEnsure Chrome sandbox is enabled (default)
chrome://sandbox/ to verify sandbox status
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Use alternative browser until patching is possible
- Implement network filtering to block malicious websites
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version: if below 87.0.4280.88, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
chrome://version/Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm Chrome version is 87.0.4280.88 or higher.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports
- Extension-related errors in Chrome logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Chrome process
- Traffic to known malicious domains
SIEM Query:
process_name:"chrome.exe" AND (event_id:1000 OR event_id:1001) OR process_crash