# CVE-2016-5198: Google Chromium V8 Out-of-Bounds Memory

> A remote attacker can execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTML page due to incorrect optimization assumptions in the V8 engine.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 8 Jun 2022 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 Jan 2017
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cpfm-2p8w-wrxc, RHSA-2016:2672, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-5198, openSUSE-SU-2016:2732-1, openSUSE-SU-2016:2733-1

## What is CVE-2016-5198?

CVE-2016-5198 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Google Chrome, published on 19 Jan 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

V8 in Google Chrome prior to 54.0.2840.90 for Linux, and 54.0.2840.85 for Android, and 54.0.2840.87 for Windows and Mac included incorrect optimisation assumptions, which allowed a remote attacker to perform arbitrary read/write operations, leading to code execution, via a crafted HTML page.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-5198?

It affects 4 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `chromium-browser` | Red Hat:rhel_extras:6 | All versions | 0:54.0.2840.90-1.el6 |
| `chromium-browser-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_extras:6 | All versions | 0:54.0.2840.90-1.el6 |
| `chromium` | SUSE:Package Hub 12 | All versions | 54.0.2840.90-112.1 |
| `chromium` | SUSE:Package Hub 12 | All versions | 54.0.2840.90-112.1 |

Products: Google Chrome, Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server, Redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-5198?

Upgrade to a fixed version. US federal agencies must fix it by 22 Jun 2022.

## Is CVE-2016-5198 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2016-5198 in the wild since at least 8 Jun 2022.

## Other vulnerabilities in Google Chrome

- [CVE-2022-4135](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-4135/): Google Chromium GPU Heap Buffer Overflow (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-16017](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16017/): Google Chrome Use-After-Free (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-16010](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16010/): Google Chrome for Android UI Heap Buffer Overflow (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-87491](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-87491/): Google Chromium V8 Out of Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-85046](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-85046/): Google Chromium V8 Type Confusion (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-5198 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-5198 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Google Chrome, published on 19 Jan 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2016-5198 in the wild since at least 8 Jun 2022.

Affected product: Google Chrome. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5198/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5198/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-5198
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-5198
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-5198

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5198/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.