CVE-2022-0971 – This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrom... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-0971?

CVE-2022-0971 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH). This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's Blink layout engine on Android that allows a compromised renderer process to potentially exploit heap corruption. Attackers could execute arbitrary code or cause crashes by tricking users into visiting malicious web pages. Only Android Chrome users prior to version 99.0.4844.74 are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's Blink layout engine on Android that allows a compromised renderer process to potentially exploit heap corruption. Attackers could execute arbitrary code or cause crashes by tricking users into visiting malicious web pages. Only Android Chrome users prior to version 99.0.4844.74 are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Google Chrome for Android

Versions: All versions prior to 99.0.4844.74

Operating Systems: Android

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects Chrome's renderer process on Android; desktop Chrome and other browsers are not vulnerable.

📦 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 device compromise, data theft, or installation of persistent malware.

🟠

Likely Case

Browser crash or sandbox escape allowing limited code execution within browser context.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if Chrome is updated or if exploit attempts are blocked by security controls.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Exploitable via malicious websites without user interaction beyond visiting the page.

🏢 Internal Only: LOW - Requires user to visit attacker-controlled content, which is less likely on internal networks.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires compromising the renderer process first, but can be triggered via crafted HTML page without authentication.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 99.0.4844.74 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/03/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_15.html

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Open Google Play Store on Android device. 2. Search for 'Chrome'. 3. If update is available, tap 'Update'. 4. Restart Chrome after update completes.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable JavaScript

android

Temporarily disable JavaScript to prevent exploitation via malicious scripts.

chrome://settings/content/javascript

Use alternative browser

android

Switch to a non-vulnerable browser until Chrome is updated.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict access to untrusted websites using network filtering or DNS blocking.
Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized browser execution.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Open Chrome, go to Settings > About Chrome. If version is below 99.0.4844.74, device is vulnerable.

Check Version:

Not applicable for Android Chrome; check via app settings.

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm Chrome version is 99.0.4844.74 or higher in Settings > About Chrome.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Chrome crash reports with memory corruption errors
Unexpected renderer process terminations

Network Indicators:

Requests to known malicious domains hosting exploit code
Unusual outbound connections from Chrome processes

SIEM Query:

source="chrome_crash_reports" AND (event_id="1299422" OR error="heap corruption" OR error="use-after-free")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-0971

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: July 21, 2022

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/03/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_15.html Release Notes,Vendor Advisory
https://crbug.com/1299422 Exploit,Issue Tracking,Patch,Vendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-25 Third Party Advisory
https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/03/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_15.html Release Notes,Vendor Advisory
https://crbug.com/1299422 Exploit,Issue Tracking,Patch,Vendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-25 Third Party Advisory

📤 Share & Export

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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