CVE-2016-5224 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
A timing attack on denormalized floating point arithmetic in SVG filters in Blink 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 bypass the Same Origin Policy via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2026
The vulnerability CVE-2016-5224 represents a sophisticated timing attack that exploits weaknesses in how web browsers handle floating point arithmetic within SVG filter operations. This flaw specifically affected the Blink rendering engine used by Google Chrome across multiple platforms including Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android. The vulnerability stems from the way the browser processes denormalized floating point numbers during SVG filter calculations, creating measurable timing differences that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of SVG filter operations that process floating point arithmetic in a manner susceptible to timing variations. When Chrome processes SVG filters containing denormalized floating point values, the computational timing differs predictably based on the specific values being processed. This timing differential creates a side-channel attack vector that allows remote adversaries to infer information about memory contents or system states through careful measurement of execution times. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of computer architecture and web security, leveraging the inherent timing characteristics of floating point operations to extract sensitive information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables attackers to bypass the fundamental Same Origin Policy that protects web applications from cross-site scripting attacks. By crafting malicious HTML pages that manipulate SVG filters and measure timing variations, attackers can potentially reconstruct sensitive data or determine whether specific memory locations contain particular values. This capability undermines the security model of web browsers and allows for the execution of sophisticated attacks that could lead to unauthorized access to user data, session hijacking, or privilege escalation within the browser environment. The vulnerability affects all versions prior to Chrome 55.0.2883.75 for desktop platforms and 55.0.2883.84 for Android, representing a significant window of exposure for users.
The attack vector requires a remote adversary to construct a malicious web page that leverages SVG filter operations to create timing variations in floating point computations. This approach aligns with the ATT&CK framework's technique for timing attacks and falls under the category of information gathering through side-channel methods. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of considering low-level computational characteristics when designing security protections, as the timing behavior of mathematical operations can leak information about system state. The flaw also relates to CWE-386 which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through timing variations, highlighting how seemingly benign computational operations can become security risks when their timing characteristics are predictable and measurable.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate browser updates to patch the timing variations in floating point arithmetic handling within SVG filters. Users should have upgraded to Chrome versions 55.0.2883.75 or later for desktop platforms and 55.0.2883.84 for Android to eliminate the attack surface. Additionally, security researchers recommended implementing constant-time arithmetic operations in browser implementations to prevent timing variations from exposing sensitive information. The vulnerability underscored the necessity of comprehensive security testing that includes analysis of low-level computational behaviors and highlighted the importance of considering side-channel attack vectors in web browser security design. Organizations should have implemented monitoring for similar timing-based attacks and ensured their browser security policies included regular update procedures to address such vulnerabilities promptly.