CVE-2016-5213 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
A use after free in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 55.0.2883.75 for Mac, Windows and Linux, and 55.0.2883.84 for Android allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5213 represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the V8 JavaScript engine that powers Google Chrome's browser functionality. This issue affects multiple operating systems including Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android platforms, demonstrating the widespread impact of the vulnerability across different environments. The vulnerability resides in how V8 handles memory management during JavaScript execution, specifically when processing crafted HTML content that triggers improper memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to freed memory regions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully constructed HTML page that manipulates V8's garbage collection mechanisms and memory allocation patterns. When Chrome processes such malicious content, the JavaScript engine creates objects that are subsequently freed from memory while references to them persist in the execution flow. This creates a scenario where an attacker can overwrite the freed memory with malicious data, leading to potential heap corruption that can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of Use After Free, which is classified as a common weakness in software security where programs access memory after it has been freed, creating opportunities for memory corruption attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to users as it enables remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it can be delivered through standard web browsing activities, making it difficult to defend against through traditional user awareness measures. Attackers can craft HTML pages that exploit this flaw by manipulating JavaScript objects and their lifecycles within the V8 engine, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects the core JavaScript engine that processes web content, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit browser-based attacks.
The remediation strategy for CVE-2016-5213 required immediate patching of Chrome browsers to version 55.0.2883.75 for desktop platforms and 55.0.2883.84 for Android devices. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all affected systems. Additional mitigations include implementing browser hardening measures such as sandboxing, enabling Content Security Policy headers, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious content. Security professionals should also consider implementing network-based detection mechanisms that can identify traffic patterns associated with exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for JavaScript and T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, demonstrating how browser-based vulnerabilities can be leveraged for broader attack chains. The incident underscores the importance of regular security assessments and vulnerability management programs that can identify and remediate such critical flaws before they can be exploited in the wild.