# CVE-2020-16010: Google Chrome for Android UI Heap Buffer Overflow

> A heap buffer overflow in Chrome's UI allows a compromised renderer to escape the sandbox and execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTML page.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 3 Nov 2021 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 3 Nov 2020
- **Updated:** 12 Jan 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x9cj-gxph-5cgf

## What is CVE-2020-16010?

CVE-2020-16010 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in Google Chrome, published on 3 Nov 2020. 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

Heap buffer overflow in UI in Google Chrome on Android prior to 86.0.4240.185 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to potentially perform a sandbox escape via a crafted HTML page.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-16010?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Chrome.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-16010?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-16010 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 3 May 2022.

## Is CVE-2020-16010 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2020-16010 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021.

## 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-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)
- [CVE-2026-11645](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-11645/): Google Chromium V8 Out-of-Bounds Read and Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-16010 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-16010 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in Google Chrome, published on 3 Nov 2020. 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-2020-16010 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021.

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-2020-16010/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16010/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-16010
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-16010
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-16010

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16010/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.