CVE-2022-2480
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability is a use-after-free flaw in Chrome's Service Worker API that allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. It affects users of Google Chrome versions prior to 103.0.5060.134, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or browser crashes.
💻 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 full control of the browser process, allowing data theft, system compromise, or malware deployment.
Likely Case
Browser crash (denial of service) or limited code execution in the browser sandbox, potentially leading to session hijacking or data exfiltration.
If Mitigated
No impact if patched; with sandboxing, exploitation may be contained to the browser process, limiting system-wide damage.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting a malicious HTML page; public proof-of-concept exists, increasing likelihood of weaponization.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 103.0.5060.134 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/07/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_19.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Chrome. 2. Click the three-dot menu > Help > About Google Chrome. 3. Chrome will automatically check for updates and prompt to relaunch if an update is available. 4. Restart Chrome to apply the patch.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Service Workers
allTemporarily disable Service Worker API to mitigate the vulnerability, but may break web functionality.
chrome://flags/#enable-service-workers
Set to 'Disabled'
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Use browser extensions to block JavaScript on untrusted sites to reduce attack surface.
- Implement network filtering to block known malicious domains and restrict web access.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version; if below 103.0.5060.134, it is vulnerable.Check Version:
On Chrome, navigate to chrome://version/ and check the 'Google Chrome' version line.Verify Fix Applied:
Ensure Chrome version is 103.0.5060.134 or higher after update.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash logs with memory corruption errors
- Unusual Service Worker activity in browser logs
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to suspicious domains hosting crafted HTML
- Anomalous traffic patterns from Chrome processes
SIEM Query:
Example: 'source="chrome_crash.log" AND "use-after-free" OR "heap corruption"'🔗 References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/168115/Chrome-content-ServiceWorkerVersion-MaybeTimeoutRequest-Heap-Use-After-Free.html
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/07/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_19.html
- https://crbug.com/1339844
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PQKT7EGDD2P3L7S3NXEDDRCPK4NNZNWJ/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YKLJ3B3D5BCVWE3QNP4N7HHF26OHD567/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-35
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/168115/Chrome-content-ServiceWorkerVersion-MaybeTimeoutRequest-Heap-Use-After-Free.html
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/07/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_19.html
- https://crbug.com/1339844
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PQKT7EGDD2P3L7S3NXEDDRCPK4NNZNWJ/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YKLJ3B3D5BCVWE3QNP4N7HHF26OHD567/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-35
