CVE-2022-0295 – This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrom... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-0295?

CVE-2022-0295 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH). This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's Omnibox (address bar) that allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption. Attackers can trigger this by convincing users to interact with a specially crafted HTML page. All Chrome users prior to version 97.0.4692.99 are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's Omnibox (address bar) that allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption. Attackers can trigger this by convincing users to interact with a specially crafted HTML page. All Chrome users prior to version 97.0.4692.99 are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Google Chrome

Versions: All versions prior to 97.0.4692.99

Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, Android

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All standard Chrome installations are vulnerable. Chrome's sandbox may limit impact but doesn't prevent exploitation.

📦 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...

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⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution leading to full system compromise, data theft, or malware installation

🟠

Likely Case

Browser crash (denial of service) or limited memory corruption leading to information disclosure

🟢

If Mitigated

Browser crash with no data compromise if sandboxing works as intended

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Attackers can host malicious pages on the internet

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Requires user interaction with malicious content

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires user interaction with malicious page. Chrome's sandbox and ASLR make reliable exploitation challenging but possible.

🛠️ 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 menu (three dots) → Help → About Google Chrome 3. Chrome will automatically check for and install updates 4. Click 'Relaunch' to restart Chrome

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable JavaScript

all

Prevents malicious JavaScript from executing the exploit

Use Chrome's Site Isolation

all

Enhances sandboxing between sites

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict browsing to trusted websites only
Use alternative browser until Chrome can be updated

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Chrome version in Settings → About Chrome

Check Version:

chrome://version/ (in Chrome address bar)

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm Chrome version is 97.0.4692.99 or higher

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Chrome crash reports
Unexpected browser termination events

Network Indicators:

Requests to suspicious domains with crafted parameters

SIEM Query:

source="chrome" AND (event="crash" OR event="termination")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-0295

CVSS v3 Score: 8.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-416

Published: February 12, 2022

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/01/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_19.html Release Notes,Vendor Advisory
https://crbug.com/1278180 Permissions Required,Vendor Advisory
https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/01/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_19.html Release Notes,Vendor Advisory
https://crbug.com/1278180 Permissions Required,Vendor Advisory

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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