CVE-2022-0294 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 02/14/2022
Inappropriate implementation in Push messaging in Google Chrome prior to 97.0.4692.99 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to bypass site isolation via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/14/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in google chrome's push messaging implementation that existed prior to version 97.0.4692.99 and specifically targets the browser's site isolation mechanisms. The issue arises from an inadequate validation process within the push notification handling system that fails to properly enforce cross-site security boundaries when processing malicious content. When a remote attacker successfully compromises a renderer process, they can exploit this weakness to bypass the fundamental site isolation protections that are designed to prevent malicious websites from accessing data from other origins. This vulnerability directly relates to cwe-284 which addresses improper access control mechanisms and aligns with attack techniques described in the mitre att&ck framework under privilege escalation and defense evasion categories.
The technical implementation flaw stems from how chrome's push messaging system handles incoming notifications and their associated metadata within the renderer process context. When a malicious html page is loaded, it can trigger a sequence of events that allows the compromised renderer to manipulate the push notification delivery mechanism in ways that circumvent normal security boundaries. The vulnerability exploits the trust model between different browser components and leverages the fact that push messaging operations are not properly isolated from the main browsing context. This creates an attack surface where an already compromised renderer process can escalate its privileges or access unauthorized data by manipulating how push notifications are processed and delivered to users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it effectively neutralizes one of chrome's primary security defenses against cross-site scripting attacks and data exfiltration attempts. An attacker who has already gained access to a renderer process through other means can now use this vulnerability to expand their attack scope beyond the original compromised site. This could enable them to access sensitive data from other websites, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or establish persistent access patterns that would otherwise be blocked by proper isolation mechanisms. The vulnerability essentially creates a backdoor through which malicious actors can traverse security boundaries that should normally prevent such cross-site interference.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate upgrading to chrome version 97.0.4692.99 or later where the implementation has been corrected to properly enforce site isolation boundaries during push messaging operations. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring for unusual push notification behavior and ensure that renderer process compromise detection mechanisms are active. The fix likely involves strengthening input validation in the push messaging system and ensuring that all notification delivery operations maintain proper security context boundaries regardless of how the notification was initiated. Security teams should also consider implementing network-level controls to detect and block suspicious push notification patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on cross-origin communication that bypasses normal browser security models.