CVE-2022-0310
📋 TL;DR
A heap buffer overflow vulnerability in Chrome's Task Manager allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption through specific user interactions. This could lead to arbitrary code execution or browser crashes. 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.
Likely Case
Browser crash or denial of service, with potential for limited code execution in sandboxed context.
If Mitigated
No impact if Chrome is fully patched or if exploit attempts are blocked by security controls.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires specific user interactions but no authentication. No public exploit code was disclosed at time of patching.
🛠️ 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:
Open Chrome
Click three-dot menu → Help → About Google Chrome
Chrome will automatically check for and install updates
Click 'Relaunch' when prompted
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Chrome Auto-Update
allPrevent Chrome from automatically updating to ensure controlled patching in enterprise environments.
Windows: Use Group Policy to disable auto-update
macOS: Use defaults write com.google.Keystone.Agent checkInterval 0
Linux: Configure package manager to hold Chrome version
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Use alternative browsers until Chrome can be updated
- Implement web filtering to block known malicious sites
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version in About Google Chrome page. If version is below 97.0.4692.99, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
chrome://version/ or 'google-chrome --version' in terminalVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Chrome version is 97.0.4692.99 or higher in About Google Chrome page.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports
- Unexpected Chrome process termination
- Sandbox escape attempts in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Chrome process
- Traffic to known exploit hosting domains
SIEM Query:
source="chrome_logs" AND (event="crash" OR event="process_termination") AND version<"97.0.4692.99"