# CVE-2016-5215: Google Chrome use after free in WebAudio

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2016-5215-google-chrome-use-after-free-in-webaudio  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2017-01-19. Updated: 2026-05-13  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2016-5215 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.3 · Published 2017-01-19

Google Chrome is a popular web browser used to access the internet. A vulnerability in its audio processing component could allow a malicious website to read information from the computer's memory that it should not have access to. This could lead to the exposure of sensitive data or cause the browser to crash if a user visits a specially crafted web page.

Technologies: [Google Chrome](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/chrome), [Google Chromium](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/chromium). Vendors: [Google](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/google).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2016-5215 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2016-5215 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2016-5215?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.3, published 19 January 2017.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Google Chromium Prior to 55.0.2883.75.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2016-5215?** A patch was published on 2016-12-01: Chrome Stable Channel Update for Desktop released Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2016-5215 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2016-5215?** Check whether you run Google Chrome or Google Chromium at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability exists in the WebAudio implementation of Google Chrome and Chromium. The flaw is triggered when the browser incorrectly manages memory objects during audio processing, allowing a remote attacker to induce an out-of-bounds (OOB) memory read. To exploit this, an attacker must entice a user to visit a specially crafted HTML page. Successful exploitation can result in the disclosure of sensitive information from the browser's memory space or a denial-of-service (crash) condition. The issue was resolved in Chrome version 55.0.2883.75 for desktop platforms and 55.0.2883.84 for Android.

## Affected products

- Google Chrome Prior to 55.0.2883.75 (Desktop); Prior to 55.0.2883.84 (Android)
- Google Chromium Prior to 55.0.2883.75

## Timeline

- 2016-12-01: patched: Chrome Stable Channel Update for Desktop released
- 2016-12-05: advisory: Gentoo Linux security advisory published
- 2016-12-07: advisory: Red Hat security advisory published
- 2017-01-19: disclosed: NVD publication date

## References

- [http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2919.html](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2919.html)
- [http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94633](http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94633)
- [https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2016/12/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html](https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2016/12/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html)
- [https://crbug.com/619463](https://crbug.com/619463)
- [https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201612-11](https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201612-11)

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