How severe is CVE-2016-5142?

CVE-2016-5142 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-5142 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (74th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-5142?

CVE-2016-5142 affects Google Chrome. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-5142?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2016-5142 published?

CVE-2016-5142 was published on 2016-08-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-5142

CVE-2016-5142 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Google Chrome with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-416.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (74th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-416
Affected product: Google Chrome
Published: 2016-08-07
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The Web Cryptography API (aka WebCrypto) implementation in Blink, as used in Google Chrome before 52.0.2743.116, does not properly copy data buffers, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (use-after-free) or possibly have unspecified other impact via crafted JavaScript code, related to NormalizeAlgorithm.cpp and SubtleCrypto.cpp.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-5142?: The Web Cryptography API (aka WebCrypto) implementation in Blink, as used in Google Chrome before 52.0.2743.116, does not properly copy data buffers, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (use-after-free) or possibly have unspecified other impact via crafted JavaScript code, related to NormalizeAlgorithm.cpp and SubtleCrypto.cpp.
How severe is CVE-2016-5142?: CVE-2016-5142 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-5142 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (74th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-5142?: CVE-2016-5142 affects Google Chrome. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-5142?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2016-5142 published?: CVE-2016-5142 was published on 2016-08-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:google:chrome:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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