CVE-2016-5219 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
A heap 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 CVE-2016-5219 represents a critical heap use after free condition within the V8 JavaScript engine that powers Google Chrome's web browser. This flaw exists in versions prior to 55.0.2883.75 for macOS, Windows, and Linux platforms, as well as 55.0.2883.84 for Android devices, making it a widespread issue affecting multiple operating systems and mobile platforms. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the V8 engine's garbage collection process, where freed memory blocks are accessed after being deallocated from the heap.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of JavaScript objects and memory allocation patterns that lead to a use after free scenario. When the V8 engine processes certain JavaScript code constructs, it may free memory associated with an object while still maintaining references to that memory location. A remote attacker can exploit this by crafting malicious HTML pages that trigger specific JavaScript execution paths, causing the engine to access previously freed memory blocks. This memory corruption can result in arbitrary code execution, as the attacker can manipulate the freed memory to redirect execution flow or inject malicious payloads.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple browser compromise, as it enables remote code execution capabilities that align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script-based exploitation. The vulnerability's reach is significant due to Chrome's widespread adoption across desktop and mobile platforms, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking to exploit the largest possible user base. The heap corruption can potentially be leveraged to bypass modern security mitigations such as ASLR and DEP, depending on the specific attack vector and target platform. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in high-level scripting engines that interact with low-level system resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-5219 primarily focus on immediate version upgrades to patched releases of Google Chrome, as this represents a straightforward remediation approach. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management policies to ensure all Chrome installations are updated promptly. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to filter suspicious JavaScript content, enabling sandboxing features within Chrome, and deploying browser hardening configurations that restrict memory access patterns. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-416 indicates that it specifically involves improper memory management practices, emphasizing the need for rigorous code review processes and static analysis tools to detect similar patterns in other software components. Security teams should also monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and implement intrusion detection systems that can identify the characteristic patterns associated with heap corruption attacks.