CVE-2022-2860 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/26/2022
Insufficient policy enforcement in Cookies in Google Chrome prior to 104.0.5112.101 allowed a remote attacker to bypass cookie prefix restrictions via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2860 represents a critical flaw in Google Chrome's cookie handling mechanism that existed prior to version 104.0.5112.101. This issue stems from insufficient policy enforcement within the browser's cookie management system, specifically affecting how the software handles cookie prefixes. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to circumvent security restrictions that are typically enforced to prevent cross-site tracking and protect user privacy. Cookie prefixes serve as a security mechanism to ensure that cookies set by different origins cannot interfere with each other, thereby maintaining the integrity of web application sessions and user data protection. The flaw manifests when a malicious actor crafts a specific HTML page that exploits weaknesses in the browser's validation process, enabling unauthorized access to cookies that should otherwise be restricted.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of cookie attributes and prefixes within the browser's security model. Chrome's cookie policy enforcement system is designed to prevent certain cookies from being set or accessed by scripts from different origins, particularly those that might be used for tracking purposes. However, the insufficient enforcement allows attackers to bypass these protections by constructing HTML pages that exploit race conditions or improper validation of cookie prefix attributes. This flaw operates at the application layer and specifically affects the HTTP cookie management capabilities within the browser's security architecture. The vulnerability can be classified under CWE-693 as "Protection Mechanism Failure" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001 "Credentials in Files" as it enables unauthorized access to stored credentials and session data through manipulated cookie handling.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-2860 extends beyond simple privacy concerns to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks such as session hijacking, cross-site request forgery, and user tracking across different websites. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to access cookies that contain sensitive session information, authentication tokens, or personal data that should be protected by the browser's security policies. The remote nature of the attack means that users can be compromised simply by visiting a malicious website, without requiring any additional user interaction or software installation. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or when users visit compromised websites. The attack vector is specifically designed to exploit the HTML rendering engine's handling of cookies, making it difficult to detect through traditional network monitoring techniques since the malicious activity occurs entirely within the browser's sandboxed environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of Chrome browsers to version 104.0.5112.101 or later, which implements corrected cookie policy enforcement mechanisms. Organizations should also implement network-level monitoring to detect unusual cookie-related traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Browser security configurations should be reviewed to ensure that cookie restrictions are properly enforced, and users should be educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites. The fix addresses the root cause by strengthening the validation process for cookie prefixes and ensuring that all cookie attributes are properly verified before being processed. Security teams should also consider implementing additional protections such as Content Security Policy headers and strict cookie security attributes to provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser software and demonstrates how seemingly small flaws in cookie handling can have significant security implications.