CVE-2020-15999
CVE-2020-15999 is a security flaw in Google Chrome FreeType. A booby-trapped web page can corrupt memory in Google Chrome FreeType, 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 3 Nov 2021.[1]
Google Chrome FreeType 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 86.0.4240.111 of Chrome.
Description
CISA calls it a heap buffer overflow in Google Chrome FreeType. In its words: “Google Chrome uses FreeType, an open-source software library to render fonts, which contains a heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the function Load_SBit_Png when processing PNG images embedded into fonts. This vulnerability is part of an exploit chain with CVE-2020-17087 on Windows and CVE-2020-16010 on Android.”[1]
The underlying weakness is out-of-bounds write (CWE-787), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.[2]
It scores 9.6 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, 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 | 86.0.4240.111 |
Every device with Google Chrome FreeType needs the update.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 3 Nov 2021, 365 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 17 Nov 2021 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 64%. That’s in the top 1% 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 FreeType 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 86.0.4240.111 or later.Fixed in version 86.0.4240.111 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 9.6.[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 64%.[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 out-of-bounds write flaws
- CVE-2026-86950, Apple devices: out-of-bounds write ·
- CVE-2026-53266, Linux Kernel: out-of-bounds write ·
- CVE-2026-53362, Linux Kernel: unspecified ·
- CVE-2022-0995, Linux Kernel: out-of-bounds write ·
- CVE-2026-0300, Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS: out-of-bounds write ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2021-42258, BQE BillQuick Web Suite: SQL injection ·
- CVE-2021-42013, Apache HTTP Server: path traversal ·
- CVE-2021-41773, Apache HTTP Server: path traversal ·
- CVE-2021-40539, Zoho ManageEngine: aDSelfService plus authentication bypass ·
- CVE-2021-40444, Microsoft MSHTML: remote code execution ·
Every Google flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in November 2021
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Google Chrome FreeType Heap Buffer Overflow Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 3 Nov 2021.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2020-15999 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 3 Nov 2020.
- ^ Google. Advisories and fixes: lists.fedoraproject.org.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.639, percentile 99.2, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2020-15999”. 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.