CVE-2016-7201: Microsoft Edge Chakra engine type confusion memory corruption

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 17 September 2026. Confidence: high.

high priorityIt is in CISA KEV with public exploit code and a very high EPSS score, but exploitation requires user interaction and the affected product is a legacy browser engine.

What it is

The Chakra JavaScript engine in Microsoft Edge mishandles objects in a way that causes type confusion, leading to memory corruption. A crafted web page can trigger the flaw, allowing code execution or a crash. It is one of several similar scripting engine memory corruption bugs patched in the same update.

Impact

An attacker can execute arbitrary code in the context of the Edge renderer process or cause a denial of service. Successful exploitation gives code execution at the privilege level of the browser process.

Attack surface

Reached over the network by a victim visiting a crafted web site; the CVSS vector shows no privileges required but user interaction required, meaning the target must browse to or open attacker-controlled content.

Exploitation

CVE-2016-7201 is listed in CISA KEV with a 2022-03-28 addition date, and public exploit code exists per Exploit and ExploitDB reference tags. EPSS 30-day probability is 0.79687 (99.6th percentile), indicating high likelihood of exploitation activity.

What to do

• Apply the Microsoft security update referenced in MS16-129 for affected Edge/Chakra versions.
• Prioritize patching any system still running unpatched Windows 10/Edge builds, since the flaw is in KEV.
• Enforce browser update policies so Edge and the underlying Chakra engine cannot fall behind.
• Restrict or monitor browsing to untrusted sites and block known exploit-hosting domains where feasible.
• Consider disabling or limiting legacy Edge/Chakra usage on high-value endpoints if patching is delayed.

Detection

• Monitor for Edge/Chakra process crashes (msedge.exe, chakra.dll) that correlate with visits to untrusted sites.
• Hunt for exploit artifacts matching public PoCs for CVE-2016-7201, such as unusual script patterns or heap spray behavior in browser telemetry.
• Review proxy and DNS logs for known exploit-hosting or malicious domains delivering Edge exploits.
• Alert on unexpected child processes or code execution originating from the Edge renderer process.

This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.