CVE-2022-3040 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/26/2022
Use after free in Layout in Google Chrome prior to 105.0.5195.52 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-3040 represents a critical use-after-free condition within the layout engine of Google Chrome browsers. This flaw exists in versions prior to 105.0.5195.52 and allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption through maliciously crafted HTML pages. The issue stems from improper memory management where freed memory blocks are accessed after being deallocated, creating opportunities for arbitrary code execution. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can be triggered remotely without user interaction, making them ideal candidates for drive-by attacks. The affected component resides within Chrome's layout subsystem which is responsible for rendering web content and managing the document object model structure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a specific pattern where Chrome's layout engine fails to properly track memory references during document rendering operations. When processing certain HTML constructs, the browser allocates memory for layout objects but does not adequately invalidate references to freed memory blocks. This creates a window where attacker-controlled content can manipulate the memory state to cause the application to access deallocated memory regions. The flaw typically manifests when handling complex DOM manipulations combined with specific CSS properties or JavaScript interactions that trigger the problematic code path. The use-after-free condition occurs at the intersection of memory allocation and deallocation logic within the browser's rendering pipeline, making it particularly challenging to detect and prevent through standard security measures.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to users who browse the internet regularly, as it can be exploited through simple web page loading without requiring any special privileges or user interaction. Attackers can craft malicious HTML pages that, when loaded in vulnerable Chrome versions, trigger the memory corruption and potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process. This capability enables various attack vectors including remote code execution, privilege escalation, and information disclosure. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that users can be compromised simply by visiting a malicious website, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or compromised websites. Security researchers have noted that the exploitation requires precise memory manipulation techniques that leverage the specific memory layout patterns present in the vulnerable browser versions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-3040 focus primarily on immediate browser updates to versions 105.0.5195.52 or later where the memory management issues have been addressed. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all Chrome installations are updated promptly. Additional protective measures include enabling Chrome's built-in security features such as sandboxing, site isolation, and content security policies. Network-level protections can involve web application firewalls and content filtering systems that block suspicious HTML content. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which describes the use of freed memory condition, and represents a classic example of heap corruption vulnerabilities that fall under the ATT&CK technique T1059 for executing malicious code through browser exploitation. Security teams should also consider implementing browser hardening measures and monitoring for unusual memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include verification of Chrome versions to ensure compliance with security baselines and prevent exploitation of this and similar memory corruption vulnerabilities.