CVE-2022-0308
📋 TL;DR
This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Google Chrome's Data Transfer component on Chrome OS that allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption. Attackers can trigger this by convincing users to interact with a crafted HTML page. Only Chrome OS users with 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 leading to full system compromise, data theft, or persistent malware installation on the Chrome OS device.
Likely Case
Browser crash (denial of service) or limited information disclosure from memory corruption.
If Mitigated
No impact if Chrome is updated to patched version or if user avoids suspicious websites.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction with a crafted HTML page. No public exploit code has been disclosed, but the bug report suggests it's exploitable for heap corruption.
🛠️ 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 browser on Chrome OS. 2. Click the three-dot menu → Help → About Google Chrome. 3. Chrome will automatically check for and install updates. 4. Click 'Relaunch' to restart Chrome with the update applied.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript
allTemporarily disable JavaScript to prevent exploitation via crafted HTML pages
chrome://settings/content/javascript → Block
Use Chrome's Site Isolation
allEnsure site isolation is enabled to limit impact of memory corruption
chrome://flags/#site-isolation-trial-opt-out → Disabled
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict user access to untrusted websites using web filtering or proxy controls
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized binaries
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version: Open Chrome → Click three-dot menu → Help → About Google Chrome. If version is below 97.0.4692.99, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
google-chrome --versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify Chrome version is 97.0.4692.99 or higher in About Google Chrome page.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports with memory corruption signatures
- Unexpected Chrome process termination events
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to known malicious domains hosting exploit code
- Unusual outbound connections after visiting suspicious sites
SIEM Query:
source="chrome_logs" AND (event="crash" OR event="memory_corruption") AND version<"97.0.4692.99"