CVE-2022-0293
📋 TL;DR
This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's web packaging component that allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption. Attackers can craft malicious HTML pages to trigger memory corruption, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution. All users running vulnerable Chrome versions are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Google Chrome
📦 What is this software?
Chrome by Google
Google Chrome is the world's most popular web browser, used by over 3 billion users globally across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS platforms. As a Chromium-based browser developed by Google, Chrome dominates the browser market with approximately 65% market share, making it a critical compon...
Learn more about Chrome →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution with the same privileges as the Chrome process, potentially leading to full system compromise if Chrome runs with elevated privileges.
Likely Case
Browser crash (denial of service) or limited code execution within Chrome's sandbox, potentially allowing data theft or further exploitation.
If Mitigated
No impact if Chrome is fully patched or if exploit attempts are blocked by security controls.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (visiting malicious webpage). No public exploit code is available, but the vulnerability is actively being researched.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 97.0.4692.99 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/01/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_19.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Chrome. 2. Click the three-dot menu. 3. Go to Help > About Google Chrome. 4. Chrome will automatically check for and install updates. 5. Click 'Relaunch' to restart Chrome with the patched version.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable automatic web packaging
allDisable Chrome's web packaging feature which may reduce attack surface
chrome://flags/#enable-web-packages
Set to 'Disabled'
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Use alternative browsers that are not affected by this vulnerability
- Implement network filtering to block known malicious websites and restrict web access
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version: If version is less than 97.0.4692.99, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
chrome://version/ (in Chrome address bar) or 'google-chrome --version' (command line)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify Chrome version is 97.0.4692.99 or higher after update.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports with memory corruption signatures
- Unexpected Chrome process termination
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to suspicious domains hosting HTML pages
- Unusual outbound connections after visiting web pages
SIEM Query:
source="chrome_logs" AND (event="crash" OR event="memory_corruption") AND version<"97.0.4692.99"