CVE-2022-1483
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability is a heap buffer overflow in Chrome's WebGPU implementation that allows a remote attacker who has already compromised the renderer process to potentially exploit heap corruption. It affects Google Chrome users prior to version 101.0.4951.41, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution.
💻 Affected Systems
- Google Chrome
- Chromium-based browsers
📦 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
Full system compromise via arbitrary code execution with renderer process privileges, potentially leading to data theft, malware installation, or lateral movement.
Likely Case
Arbitrary code execution within the sandboxed renderer process, allowing data exfiltration from browser sessions or further exploitation.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to Chrome's sandboxing; renderer process compromise but no system-level access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires renderer process compromise first, then heap corruption exploitation. No public exploit code available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 101.0.4951.41
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/04/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_26.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Chrome. 2. Click three-dot menu → Help → About Google Chrome. 3. Chrome will automatically check for and install update 101.0.4951.41 or later. 4. Click 'Relaunch' to restart Chrome.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable WebGPU
allDisable the WebGPU feature flag in Chrome to prevent exploitation via this vector
Navigate to chrome://flags/#enable-webgpu and set to 'Disabled'
Use Chrome sandboxing
allEnsure Chrome sandbox is enabled (default) to limit impact of renderer compromise
Verify chrome://sandbox shows sandbox is enabled
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable WebGPU via chrome://flags/#enable-webgpu
- Use alternative browser until patching possible
- Implement network filtering to block malicious sites
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version: if below 101.0.4951.41, system is vulnerableCheck Version:
google-chrome --version (Linux) or chrome://version (all platforms)Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm Chrome version is 101.0.4951.41 or higher📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports with WebGPU-related stack traces
- Unexpected renderer process termination
Network Indicators:
- Connections to known malicious domains serving WebGPU content
- Unusual WebSocket or WebRTC traffic patterns
SIEM Query:
source="chrome" AND (event="crash" OR event="renderer_killed") AND process="chrome" AND message="*WebGPU*"🔗 References
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/04/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_26.html
- https://crbug.com/1314754
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-25
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/04/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_26.html
- https://crbug.com/1314754
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-25
