CVE-2022-0977
📋 TL;DR
This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's Browser UI 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, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution. Users of Google Chrome on Chrome OS prior to version 99.0.4844.74 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 privileges of the Chrome process, potentially leading to full system compromise on Chrome OS devices.
Likely Case
Browser crash or instability, with potential for limited code execution in the browser sandbox.
If Mitigated
No impact if patched; browser sandboxing may limit damage if exploitation occurs.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user interaction with crafted HTML page; exploitation depends on heap manipulation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 99.0.4844.74
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/03/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_15.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Chrome browser 2. Click menu (three dots) → Help → About Google Chrome 3. Chrome will automatically check for and install updates 4. Click 'Relaunch' to restart Chrome with the update
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript
allPrevents execution of malicious JavaScript that could trigger the vulnerability
chrome://settings/content/javascript → Block
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict user access to untrusted websites
- Use browser extensions that block malicious content
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version in Settings → About Chrome; if version is less than 99.0.4844.74, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
google-chrome --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Chrome version is 99.0.4844.74 or higher in Settings → About Chrome.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports
- Unexpected browser process termination
Network Indicators:
- Requests to suspicious domains with crafted HTML content
SIEM Query:
source="chrome_logs" AND (event="crash" OR event="process_termination")🔗 References
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/03/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_15.html
- https://crbug.com/1299225
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-25
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/03/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_15.html
- https://crbug.com/1299225
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-25
