CVE-2021-21166 — Google Chromium Race Condition Vulnerability
Data race in audio in Google Chrome prior to 89.0.4389.72 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- EPSS 24% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
CISA required action CISA
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
US federal deadline: Nov 17, 2021 — passed 1793 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Google Chrome).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Exploitation requires user interaction: tighten email/web filtering and warn affected users.
- EPSS ahead of 98% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (logic error), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | Debian Linux | version 10.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Fedoraproject | Fedora | version 32version 33version 34 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Chrome | < 89.0.4389.72 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database | |
| Chrome | < 89.0.4389.72 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.8 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.8 | 5.9 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 6.8 | CVSS 2.0 | Medium | 8.6 | 6.4 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 24.03%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Nov 3, 2021 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · google/chrome
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Affected products added · google/chrome, fedoraproject/fedora, debian/debian linux
- CVSS changed · 8.8
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2021
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
16 on the record
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/BBT5
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/LCID
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-q4f3-pjpv-9q5x
- www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4886
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/202104-08
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/LCIDZ7
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-21166
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/FE5SIK
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/BBT5
- crbug.com/1177465
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/FE5S
- chromereleases.googleblog.com/2021/03/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/BBT54R
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/LCID
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/FE5S
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-110171 Use after free in Media in Google Chrome prior to 155.0.8059.79 allowed a remote attacker to... 1d
- Medium CVE-2026-110170 Use after free in Bindings in Google Chrome prior to 155.0.8059.79 allowed a remote attacker to... 1d
- High CVE-2026-110172 Use after free in Media in Google Chrome prior to 155.0.8059.79 allowed a remote attacker to... 1d
- High CVE-2026-110168 Use after free in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 155.0.8059.79 allowed a remote attacker to execute... 1d
- High CVE-2026-110169 Use after free in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 155.0.8059.79 allowed a remote attacker to execute... 1d
- High CVE-2026-110167 Use after free in Media in Google Chrome prior to 155.0.8059.79 allowed a remote attacker to... 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2021-21166 is "Google Chromium Race Condition Vulnerability", rated High. It affects Debian Linux (Debian); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 8.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 24.03% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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