CVE-2022-1496 – This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrom... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-1496?

CVE-2022-1496 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH). This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's File Manager that could allow heap corruption. Attackers could potentially exploit this to execute arbitrary code or cause browser crashes by tricking users into performing specific interactions. All Chrome users prior to version 101.0.4951.41 are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's File Manager that could allow heap corruption. Attackers could potentially exploit this to execute arbitrary code or cause browser crashes by tricking users into performing specific interactions. All Chrome users prior to version 101.0.4951.41 are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Google Chrome

Versions: All versions prior to 101.0.4951.41

Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects all Chrome installations regardless of OS. Requires user interaction with File Manager functionality.

📦 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 system compromise, data theft, or malware installation.

🟠

Likely Case

Browser crash (denial of service) or limited memory corruption that could be leveraged for further exploitation.

🟢

If Mitigated

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

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Requires user interaction with malicious content but can be delivered via web pages.

🏢 Internal Only: LOW - Still requires user interaction with crafted content, which is less likely in controlled internal environments.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires specific user interaction with File Manager, making automated attacks difficult but targeted attacks possible.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 101.0.4951.41 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/04/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_26.html

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Open Chrome 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 Chrome auto-updates (temporary)

all

Prevent Chrome from automatically updating if you need to maintain specific version for testing, but note this leaves you vulnerable.

# Not recommended as security measure
# Only for testing environments

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict user access to untrusted websites and file downloads
Use application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized Chrome execution

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Chrome version in menu → Help → About Google Chrome. If version is below 101.0.4951.41, you are vulnerable.

Check Version:

chrome://version/ or 'google-chrome --version' in terminal

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify Chrome version is 101.0.4951.41 or higher after update and restart.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Chrome crash reports with memory corruption signatures
Unexpected File Manager access patterns

Network Indicators:

Unusual downloads or file operations originating from Chrome

SIEM Query:

source="chrome_logs" AND (event="crash" OR event="memory_error") AND version<"101.0.4951.41"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-1496

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 26, 2022

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/04/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_26.html Release Notes,Vendor Advisory
https://crbug.com/1306391 Exploit,Issue Tracking,Patch,Vendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-25 Third Party Advisory
https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/04/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_26.html Release Notes,Vendor Advisory
https://crbug.com/1306391 Exploit,Issue Tracking,Patch,Vendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-25 Third Party Advisory

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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