CVE-2022-3047 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/26/2022
Insufficient policy enforcement in Extensions API in Google Chrome prior to 105.0.5195.52 allowed an attacker who convinced a user to install a malicious extension to bypass downloads policy via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-3047 represents a critical weakness in Google Chrome's Extensions API that undermines the browser's security policies for extension management. This flaw exists in Chrome versions prior to 105.0.5195.52 and specifically targets the insufficient enforcement of download policies within the extensions framework. The vulnerability allows malicious actors to circumvent administrative download restrictions that should normally prevent users from installing extensions that violate organizational security policies. The attack vector requires social engineering to convince a user to install a malicious extension, but once installed, the extension can exploit this policy gap to bypass download restrictions that would normally be enforced by administrators.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper validation within Chrome's Extensions API that fails to adequately verify download policies when extensions attempt to access or manipulate download functionality. This weakness creates a bypass condition where a malicious extension can execute download operations that would normally be blocked by administrative policies. The flaw operates at the intersection of browser extension security and policy enforcement mechanisms, allowing extensions to perform actions that should be restricted based on organizational security configurations. From a cybersecurity perspective, this represents a privilege escalation vulnerability that enables malicious extensions to operate beyond their intended scope and potentially access restricted resources or perform unauthorized downloads.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-3047 extends beyond simple policy bypass to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks involving data exfiltration, malware distribution, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Organizations that rely on Chrome-based security policies to control extension installations and download behaviors face significant risk when this vulnerability exists in their environment. The vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where administrators implement strict download policies to prevent malicious software installation and maintain security compliance. Attackers can exploit this weakness to install extensions that appear legitimate but contain malicious functionality, bypassing security controls that would normally prevent such installations from occurring. This vulnerability can also enable attackers to download additional malware components or establish persistence mechanisms that would otherwise be blocked by download restrictions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-3047 primarily focus on immediate Chrome version updates to 105.0.5195.52 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the policy enforcement gap in the Extensions API. Organizations should implement comprehensive extension management policies that include regular monitoring of installed extensions and enforcement of strict installation controls. Security teams should also consider implementing additional layers of protection such as network-based download filtering and browser extension whitelisting to compensate for the vulnerability while awaiting patch deployment. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-693 security feature weakness, specifically related to inadequate policy enforcement mechanisms, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1176 for bypassing user access controls through browser extensions. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their Chrome environments to identify any potentially compromised systems and implement enhanced monitoring for suspicious extension installations or download activities that might indicate exploitation attempts.