CVE-2022-29144
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) allows an attacker to execute code with elevated privileges. It affects users running vulnerable versions of Microsoft Edge on Windows systems. Successful exploitation could lead to system compromise.
💻 Affected Systems
- Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based)
📦 What is this software?
Edge Chromium by Microsoft
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attacker gains SYSTEM-level privileges, enabling complete system takeover, data theft, and persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Local attacker escalates privileges to install malware, modify system settings, or access restricted data.
If Mitigated
With proper patching and security controls, impact is limited to isolated incidents with minimal data exposure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access or user to run malicious content; no known public exploits.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Microsoft Edge version 101.0.1210.32 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2022-29144
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Microsoft Edge. 2. Click Settings (three dots) → Help and feedback → About Microsoft Edge. 3. Browser will automatically check for and install updates. 4. Restart Edge when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Edge via Group Policy
windowsTemporarily disable Microsoft Edge usage while patching
gpedit.msc → Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Microsoft Edge → Set 'Allow Microsoft Edge to start and load the Start and New Tab page at Windows startup and each time Microsoft Edge is closed' to Disabled
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user privileges to prevent privilege escalation
- Implement application whitelisting to block unauthorized Edge execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Edge version: edge://settings/help → if version is below 101.0.1210.32, system is vulnerableCheck Version:
msedge --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Edge version is 101.0.1210.32 or higher in edge://settings/help📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Windows Event Logs: Security logs showing unexpected privilege escalation
- Edge crash reports with suspicious patterns
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Edge process with elevated privileges
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND ProcessName="msedge.exe" AND NewProcessName contains "SYSTEM"