Summary
Use after free in CefSharp
CVE-2020-16017: Use after free in site isolation
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2020/11/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_11.html
- https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2020-16017
Google is aware of reports that exploits for CVE-2020-16013 and CVE-2020-16017 exist in the wild.
There is currently little to no public information on the issue other than it has been flagged as High severity.
Impact
Memory is accessed after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior in native code. Typical impact: memory corruption, crash, or potential code execution.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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CefSharp.Common to 86.0.241 or later; CefSharp.Wpf to 86.0.241 or later; CefSharp.WinForms to 86.0.241 or later; CefSharp.Wpf.HwndHost to 86.0.241 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2020-16017? CVE-2020-16017 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in CefSharp.Common (nuget), affecting versions < 86.0.241. It is fixed in 86.0.241. Memory is accessed after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior in native code.
- Which packages are affected by CVE-2020-16017?
CefSharp.Common(nuget) (versions < 86.0.241)CefSharp.Wpf(nuget) (versions < 86.0.241)CefSharp.WinForms(nuget) (versions < 86.0.241)CefSharp.Wpf.HwndHost(nuget) (versions < 86.0.241)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2020-16017? Yes. CVE-2020-16017 is fixed in 86.0.241. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2020-16017 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-16017 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2020-16017 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2020-16017?
- Upgrade
CefSharp.Commonto 86.0.241 or later - Upgrade
CefSharp.Wpfto 86.0.241 or later - Upgrade
CefSharp.WinFormsto 86.0.241 or later - Upgrade
CefSharp.Wpf.HwndHostto 86.0.241 or later
- Upgrade