PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-5216 Google CVE debrief

CVE-2016-5216 is a medium-severity Chrome/PDFium memory-safety issue. The CVE description says a use-after-free in PDFium could let a remote attacker trigger an out-of-bounds memory read by delivering a crafted PDF file. NVD maps the issue to CWE-416 and a network-reachable, user-interaction-dependent attack path.

Vendor: Google
Product: CVE-2016-5216
CVSS: MEDIUM 6.3
CISA KEV: Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published: 2017-01-19
Original CVE updated: 2026-05-13
Advisory published: 2017-01-19
Advisory updated: 2026-05-13

Who should care

Security teams managing Google Chrome on desktop or Android, especially endpoints where users regularly open untrusted PDFs or browse externally supplied documents. Browser fleet owners, VDI operators, and desktop patch managers should treat this as a routine but important browser update item.

Technical summary

The supplied CVE text identifies a use-after-free in PDFium, Chrome’s PDF rendering component. The likely impact is information exposure or crash behavior from an out-of-bounds memory read when a crafted PDF is processed. NVD classifies the issue as CWE-416 and lists Chrome versions through 54.0.2840.99 as vulnerable, while the CVE description states fixes were released before 55.0.2883.75 for Mac/Windows/Linux and 55.0.2883.84 for Android.

Defensive priority

Medium. Prioritize prompt patching on all Chrome installations, with extra attention to systems that routinely handle untrusted PDFs or have broad user exposure. The attack requires network delivery and user interaction, so it is not the highest emergency class, but browser patch lag can quickly expand exposure.

Recommended defensive actions

Update Google Chrome to a version at or above the fixed builds stated in the CVE description.
Verify Android Chrome is updated to at least 55.0.2883.84, and desktop Chrome to at least 55.0.2883.75.
Inventory Chrome versions across managed endpoints and flag any instances at or below the vulnerable range listed by NVD.
Treat untrusted PDF handling as a higher-risk activity until patch compliance is confirmed.
Use standard browser update channels and confirm that endpoint patch policies are actually applying Chrome updates.
Monitor for crashes or anomalous PDF rendering behavior as part of normal endpoint telemetry, without assuming active exploitation.

Evidence notes

All statements are grounded in the supplied CVE record and NVD metadata. The CVE description explicitly states a PDFium use-after-free leading to out-of-bounds memory read via a crafted PDF. NVD supplies CWE-416, the CVSS 3.0 vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L, and vulnerable version criteria through Chrome 54.0.2840.99. The supplied references include an official Chrome release note, a Chromium bug tracker entry, and third-party advisories, but no exploit code or active exploitation evidence was included in the corpus.

Official resources

Published by NVD on 2017-01-19 and last modified on 2026-05-13. The supplied record includes vendor references to a Chrome stable channel update, a Chromium issue, and third-party advisories. No KEV listing is present in the supplied data.