ChromeWeb browser · Google
CVE-2016-5170
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedWebKit/Source/bindings/modules/v8/V8BindingForModules.cpp in Blink, as used in Google Chrome before 53.0.2785.113, does not properly consider getter side effects during array key conversion, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (use-after-free) or possibly have unspecified other impact via crafted Indexed Database (aka IndexedDB) API calls.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA use-after-free vulnerability in Blink's V8 JavaScript engine bindings for IndexedDB (V8BindingForModules.cpp) allows remote attackers to corrupt memory via crafted IndexedDB API calls. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of getter side effects during array key conversion, leading to the use-after-free condition.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
ChromeWeb browser
<= 53.0.2785.101CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Verify Google Chrome is installedCheck for the Chrome executable. On Windows, look for chrome.exe in Program Files or via registry. On macOS, check /Applications/Google Chrome.app. On Linux, check /usr/bin/google-chrome or via package manager (dpkg -l | grep google-chrome, rpm -qa | grep google-chrome).Affected if Google Chrome is not found on the system (not applicable).
-
Retrieve installed Chrome versionOpen a terminal and run: google-chrome --version (Linux/macOS) or check the file properties of chrome.exe (Windows). Alternatively, open chrome://version in the browser address bar.Affected if Unable to determine version (Chrome may not be properly installed).
-
Compare version against affected rangeCompare the installed version number to 53.0.2785.101. Note that versions 53.0.2785.101 and lower are affected. Versions above 53.0.2785.101 (including 53.0.2785.113 and later) are patched.Affected if The installed version is 53.0.2785.101 or any lower version number.
-
Confirm vulnerability trigger contextThis is a client-side vulnerability in the IndexedDB JavaScript API. The flaw requires processing crafted IndexedDB API calls through the V8 engine bindings. To be exploitable, the user would need to visit a malicious page or open a crafted HTML file using IndexedDB.Affected if The browser is used to process untrusted web content and the version is within the affected range.
If Google Chrome is installed and its version is 53.0.2785.101 or lower, the environment is affected by this use-after-free vulnerability in IndexedDB.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpdate Google Chrome to version 53.0.2785.113 or later. This is a client-side browser vulnerability; there is no server-side fix—end users must apply the browser update.
Fix this in Chrome
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-5170 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-5170 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data