How severe is CVE-2020-15961?

CVE-2020-15961 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.6, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-15961 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (71st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-15961?

CVE-2020-15961 primarily affects Google Chrome. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-15961?

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-2020-15961 published?

CVE-2020-15961 was published on 2020-09-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-15961

CVE-2020-15961 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Google Chrome with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.6. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.6)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (71st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Google Chrome
Published: 2020-09-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Insufficient policy validation in extensions in Google Chrome prior to 85.0.4183.121 allowed an attacker who convinced a user to install a malicious extension to potentially perform a sandbox escape via a crafted Chrome Extension.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-15961?: Insufficient policy validation in extensions in Google Chrome prior to 85.0.4183.121 allowed an attacker who convinced a user to install a malicious extension to potentially perform a sandbox escape via a crafted Chrome Extension.
How severe is CVE-2020-15961?: CVE-2020-15961 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.6, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-15961 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (71st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-15961?: CVE-2020-15961 primarily affects Google Chrome. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-15961?: 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-2020-15961 published?: CVE-2020-15961 was published on 2020-09-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (9)

cpe:2.3:a:google:chrome:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:opensuse:backports_sle:15.0:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:opensuse:backports_sle:15.0:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:31:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:32:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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