CVE-2020-16045
📋 TL;DR
This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Google Chrome's Payments component on Android that allows a remote attacker who has already compromised the renderer process to potentially escape the browser sandbox. Attackers could gain elevated privileges and execute arbitrary code on the affected device. Only users running vulnerable versions of Chrome on Android are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Google Chrome for Android
📦 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
Full device compromise - attacker escapes Chrome sandbox, gains system-level access, installs persistent malware, steals sensitive data, and controls the device.
Likely Case
Limited sandbox escape allowing installation of additional malware, credential theft, and surveillance capabilities within the compromised browser context.
If Mitigated
Attack contained within Chrome sandbox with minimal impact if proper security controls and updated versions are in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires chaining with renderer compromise first, but once achieved, sandbox escape is possible via crafted HTML.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 87.0.4280.66 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2020/11/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_17.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Google Play Store 2. Search for Chrome 3. Update to version 87.0.4280.66 or later 4. Restart Chrome after update
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript
allTemporarily disable JavaScript to prevent exploitation via crafted HTML
chrome://settings/content/javascript
Use alternative browser
allSwitch to updated or unaffected browser until Chrome is patched
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict browsing to trusted websites only
- Implement network filtering to block malicious HTML content
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version in Settings > About Chrome. If version is below 87.0.4280.66, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
chrome://versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Chrome version is 87.0.4280.66 or higher in Settings > About Chrome.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports with payments component errors
- Unusual process creation from Chrome renderer
Network Indicators:
- Requests to known exploit domains
- Unusual HTML payloads in network traffic
SIEM Query:
source="chrome" AND (event_type="crash" OR process_name="chrome_renderer") AND message="payments"