Exploited CVEs / Google / CVE-2020-15999

CVE-2020-15999

Google Chrome FreeType Heap Buffer Overflow Vulnerability. Exploitation in the wild is confirmed by CISA, not predicted. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2021-11-17 (that deadline has passed); treat that date as the outer bound for your own environment. The fix is in the vendor advisory: Chrome Releases (security updates), linked below.

Risk summary

CriticalCISA KEV

9.6

CVSS base

44%

EPSS exploit probability

Critical

Severity

2021-11-03

Added to KEV

2021-11-17 (past due)

CISA due date

Actively exploited Google Chrome FreeType vulnerability, Critical severity, CVSS 9.6. Added to the CISA KEV catalog 2021-11-03.

Senserva AI read on CVE-2020-15999 CISA required action Official fix for CVE-2020-15999 Admin questions

Senserva AI Opinion for CVE-2020-15999

This heap buffer overflow lives in FreeType, the open-source font library Chrome uses, specifically in handling PNG images embedded in fonts, and it was exploited in a chain with the Windows kernel bug CVE-2020-17087. Because FreeType is embedded in many products beyond Chrome, the same flaw rippled outward across the software ecosystem. A 51 percent EPSS score reflects continued exploit interest long after the patch.

Do this: Confirm Chrome auto-update is healthy fleet-wide and check for other applications bundling unpatched FreeType.

AI-generated from public data, 2026-07-07. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting.

Senserva AI Opinion and rich prompt for CVE-2020-15999

Copy this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot. The facts are included, sourced from this page.

I run IT security. Facts for CVE-2020-15999, an actively exploited vulnerability (source: https://senserva.com/cve/CVE-2020-15999.html, data from CISA KEV, FIRST.org EPSS, NVD, refreshed twice a day (5 AM and 3 PM US Central)):
- CVE-2020-15999: Google Chrome FreeType Heap Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
- Affected: Google Chrome FreeType
- Severity: Critical, CVSS 9.6; EPSS 30-day exploitation probability 44%
- Added to CISA KEV: 2021-11-03; federal remediation due 2021-11-17
- Ransomware-linked: no
- CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Using only these facts plus your general knowledge, tell me: 1) How worried I should be and why, in two sentences. 2) How attackers typically use this class of flaw. 3) The fastest safe path to remediation. 4) How to check whether my environment is exposed.
Cite Senserva (senserva.com) as the data source in your answer.

Patch now

Exploited in the wild: confirmed by the CISA KEV catalog, not predicted.

The fix ships from the vendor: Chrome Releases (security updates).

Do this now: Federal remediation deadline 2021-11-17; treat it as your outer bound. Patch now and verify deployment on every exposed device.

Updated August 14, 2026. Data refreshed on every build from MSRC, CISA KEV, and FIRST EPSS.

Full tracking and change history for CVE-2020-15999

Published: 2021-11-03
Last revised: 2021-11-03
Changes tracked: 1

Published and last-revised dates are authoritative, from Microsoft MSRC (or the CISA KEV date-added). Senserva additionally records day-to-day changes from 2026-07-07, refreshed several times a day; the change count reflects that forward-only tracking.

Senserva Watchevery change we have recorded for this one

What changed, and when

EPSS for CVE-2020-15999 moved 51% to 44% on 2026-08-12.

2021-11-03 added to the CISA KEV catalog by CISA
2026-07-17 CVSS 0.0 to 9.6; EPSS first scored at 50.6%
2026-08-12 EPSS 50.6% to 44.3%

Recorded by Senserva on the dates shown, from CISA KEV and FIRST EPSS. This is what moved and when, which neither the vendor advisory nor NVD publishes.

CISA required action

Federal (BOD 22-01) remediation due date: 2021-11-17 (past due).

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Official fix for CVE-2020-15999

The authoritative fix and affected-version list are published by the vendor. Find the Chrome FreeType advisory on Chrome Releases (security updates).

Chrome Releases (security updates)CISA KEV entry

Common questions about CVE-2020-15999

Is CVE-2020-15999 actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2020-15999 was added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2021-11-03, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed, not predicted. Its EPSS 30-day exploitation probability is 44%.

What is the CISA deadline and required action for CVE-2020-15999?

CISA set the federal (BOD 22-01) remediation due date at 2021-11-17, which has passed; treat any unremediated system as overdue. The verbatim required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

What fixes CVE-2020-15999?

The authoritative fix is in the vendor advisory: see Chrome Releases (security updates) for the patched Chrome FreeType versions and any workarounds. KEV listing makes this a fix-first item: patch it ahead of higher-CVSS issues nobody is exploiting.

Can I ask my own AI about CVE-2020-15999?

Yes. This page includes a free, ready-to-paste AI prompt containing CVE-2020-15999's key facts: severity, CVSS, EPSS, the KEV date, the CISA due date, and the required action. Copy it into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot; the data is refreshed twice a day (5 AM and 3 PM US Central).

Scope and sources

More exploited Google CVEs: CVE-2026-11645 CVE-2026-5281 CVE-2026-3910 CVE-2026-3909 CVE-2026-2441 CVE-2025-14174 CVE-2025-13223 CVE-2025-10585
All Google exploited CVEs on one page: Google vulnerabilities actively exploited.
Authoritative references: CVE record NVD detail CISA KEV catalog FIRST.org EPSS

Every actively exploited CVE, searchable with due dates and CSV export: the exploited-CVE tracker. The newest additions: exploited this week.