CVE-2019-13720
CVE-2019-13720 is a security flaw in Google Chrome WebAudio. A booby-trapped web page can corrupt memory in Google Chrome WebAudio, which attackers use to take it over. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 23 May 2022.[1]
Google Chrome WebAudio is in things households have, such as phones, computers, browsers and everyday apps, so the fix matters at home as much as at work. Fixed in version 78.0.3904.87 of Chrome.
Description
CISA calls it an use-after-free in Google Chrome WebAudio. In its words: “Google Chrome WebAudio contains a use-after-free vulnerability that allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.”[1]
The underlying weakness is use after free (CWE-416), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.[2]
It scores 8.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record lists one fixed version: everything before it is affected.[2]
| Product | Fixed in |
|---|---|
| Chrome | 78.0.3904.87 |
Every device with Google Chrome WebAudio needs the update.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 23 May 2022, 910 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 13 Jun 2022 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 49%. That’s in the top 2% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
Google has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Update Google Chrome WebAudio now.Install the latest update from Google on every device that has it, and restart when asked. Then turn on automatic updates, so the next fix arrives on its own.
- Check you’re on 78.0.3904.87 or later.Fixed in version 78.0.3904.87 of Chrome. Anything older is what attackers are going after.
- If there’s no update, stop using it.CISA’s advice when a flaw being used in attacks has no fix is to stop using the product until it does.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 8.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 49%.[4] |
See also
Other Google flaws
- CVE-2026-111497, Google Brotli: unchecked return value ·
- CVE-2026-58704, Google Pixel: improper authorization ·
- CVE-2026-87491, Chrome and other Chromium browsers: out of bounds write ·
- CVE-2026-85046, Chrome and other Chromium browsers: type confusion ·
- CVE-2026-11645, Chrome and other Chromium browsers: out-of-bounds read and write ·
Other use after free flaws
- CVE-2026-109619, PHP: stale internal request-state ·
- CVE-2026-109618, PHP: memory corruption ·
- CVE-2026-68820, Microsoft Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock: use-after-free ·
- CVE-2010-0249, Microsoft Internet Explorer: use-after-free ·
- CVE-2020-9715, Adobe Acrobat: use-after-free ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2022-20821, Cisco IOS XR: open port ·
- CVE-2021-30883, Apple devices: memory corruption ·
- CVE-2021-1048, Android Kernel: use-after-free ·
- CVE-2021-0920, Android Kernel: race condition ·
- CVE-2020-1027, Microsoft Windows: kernel privilege escalation ·
Every Google flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in May 2022
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Google Chrome WebAudio Use-After-Free Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 23 May 2022.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2019-13720 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 25 Nov 2019.
- ^ Google. Advisories and fixes: chromereleases.googleblog.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.494, percentile 98.9, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2019-13720”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.