CVE-2022-2998 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/26/2022
Use after free in Browser Creation in Google Chrome prior to 104.0.5112.101 allowed a remote attacker who had convinced a user to engage in a specific UI interaction to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/04/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition in Google Chrome's browser creation component that could be exploited remotely through crafted HTML content. The flaw exists in the memory management handling of browser instances and occurs when the application attempts to access memory that has already been freed during the browser creation process. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can lead to arbitrary code execution when an attacker successfully manipulates the heap state through carefully crafted web content. The vulnerability affects Chrome versions prior to 104.0.5112.101 and demonstrates the inherent risks associated with complex browser memory management systems where improper deallocation can create exploitable conditions. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of heap corruption issues that have been consistently identified in web browsers due to the complexity of managing dynamic memory allocation across multiple threads and components.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a specific UI interaction pattern that triggers the problematic code path during browser instance creation. When an attacker crafts HTML content that induces the browser to create and subsequently free browser objects, the application may later attempt to access memory that has already been deallocated. This creates a scenario where the heap memory layout becomes corrupted and can be manipulated by an attacker to execute malicious code. The attack requires user interaction through a specific UI element or sequence that causes the browser to enter the vulnerable state, making it a user-asserted remote code execution vulnerability. The exploitation technique leverages the timing gap between memory deallocation and subsequent access attempts, which is a common pattern in use-after-free vulnerabilities. This aligns with common weakness enumeration CWE-416 which specifically addresses the use of freed memory condition in software development practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to encompass potential full system compromise when exploited in modern browser environments. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to bypass security mitigations such as address space layout randomization and data execution protection, particularly when combined with other exploitation techniques. The remote nature of the attack means that users need only visit a malicious webpage to be at risk, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or compromised websites. The vulnerability affects the core browser functionality and can potentially be used to escalate privileges or perform actions that would normally be restricted to the browser process. Security researchers have noted that such vulnerabilities are particularly challenging to detect and prevent because they often require specific conditions to be met, making them difficult to test and validate in standard security environments. This vulnerability type is commonly mapped to attack techniques in the attack tree framework where it represents a critical path for achieving persistent access or privilege escalation within the target system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to the secure release 104.0.5112.101 or later. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies to ensure all users have the latest security patches installed. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing web content filtering and sandboxing measures to reduce the risk of exploitation even if users encounter malicious content. Browser security configurations can be adjusted to disable potentially dangerous HTML features or restrict access to certain JavaScript APIs that might be leveraged in exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust memory management practices and regular security audits of browser components. Security teams should also implement monitoring for unusual browser behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around memory allocation and deallocation events. Organizations should maintain updated threat intelligence feeds to track related exploitation attempts and ensure their defensive measures remain effective against evolving attack techniques targeting similar memory corruption vulnerabilities.