PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-5224 Google CVE debrief

CVE-2016-5224 is a medium-severity Google Chrome vulnerability involving a timing attack on denormalized floating point arithmetic in SVG filters in Blink. According to the CVE description, a remote attacker could use a crafted HTML page to help bypass the Same Origin Policy. Google’s remediation is referenced in the record for Chrome desktop and Android builds, and the issue is tied to browser versions before the fixed releases.

Vendor: Google
Product: CVE-2016-5224
CVSS: MEDIUM 4.3
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, browser fleet administrators, and users on affected Chrome releases should prioritize this advisory. It is especially relevant wherever browser-based access to sensitive web applications is common.

Technical summary

The NVD record classifies the issue as CWE-189 and gives a CVSS 3.0 vector of AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N. The vulnerability centers on timing behavior in Blink’s SVG filter handling, where denormalized floating point arithmetic could leak information sufficient to bypass the Same Origin Policy when a user visits a crafted HTML page. Google’s description names fixed releases of 55.0.2883.75 for Mac, Windows, and Linux, and 55.0.2883.84 for Android.

Defensive priority

Medium. The issue requires user interaction, but it affects a core browser isolation control and can expose same-origin data if a user opens a malicious page. Apply the vendor fixes promptly in managed browser environments.

Recommended defensive actions

Update Google Chrome to the fixed release or later on desktop and Android.
Verify fleet coverage against the vendor-fixed versions named in the CVE description: 55.0.2883.75 for Mac/Windows/Linux and 55.0.2883.84 for Android.
Treat this as a browser isolation issue and prioritize it on systems that access sensitive internal web applications.
Use browser update policies and compliance checks to confirm that affected endpoints are no longer on vulnerable Chrome builds.
Track vendor release notes and browser security advisories as part of routine patch management.

Evidence notes

The source record is an official NVD CVE entry published on 2017-01-19 and later modified on 2026-05-13. Its metadata cites Google’s Chrome Releases stable channel update for desktop and the Chromium bug tracker (crbug.com/615851) among the references, along with Red Hat, SecurityFocus, and Gentoo advisories. NVD lists Chrome as vulnerable up to 54.0.2840.99 in its CPE criteria, while the CVE description specifies the fixed Chrome releases as 55.0.2883.75 on desktop platforms and 55.0.2883.84 on Android.

Official resources

The vulnerability was publicly recorded in the NVD/CVE system on 2017-01-19, with Google release-note references already included in the record. Use the CVE publication date for disclosure timing; the 2026-05-13 modified date reflects later