CVE-2022-3071 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 09/26/2022
Use after free in Tab Strip in Google Chrome on Chrome OS, Lacros prior to 105.0.5195.52 allowed a remote attacker who convinced a user to engage in specific UI interactions to potentially exploit heap corruption via crafted UI interaction.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition in the Tab Strip component of Google Chrome running on Chrome OS and Lacros environments. The flaw exists within the memory management handling of tab interface elements, where freed memory blocks are still being accessed or referenced after their intended lifecycle has ended. The vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 105.0.5195.52 and demonstrates how improper memory deallocation can create persistent security risks in browser environments. The technical implementation involves the tab strip UI component that manages multiple tabs within the browser interface, where the memory cleanup process fails to properly invalidate references to tab objects that have been removed from memory.
The exploitation scenario requires a remote attacker to convince a user to perform specific UI interactions that trigger the vulnerable code path. This type of attack falls under the category of user interaction-based exploits where social engineering plays a crucial role in successful compromise. The vulnerability creates a heap corruption condition that can potentially lead to arbitrary code execution, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may be诱导 to perform specific actions. The attack vector operates through crafted UI interactions that manipulate the tab strip component in ways that cause the browser to access memory that has already been freed, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it can enable attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the browser process. This represents a significant threat in Chrome OS environments where the browser serves as a primary interface for user interactions and application access. The vulnerability affects the core browser functionality and can potentially compromise the entire system if exploited successfully. The heap corruption resulting from this use-after-free condition creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory layout and potentially redirect execution flow to malicious payloads. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in operating systems like Chrome OS where browser security is fundamental to overall system protection.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate upgrade to Chrome version 105.0.5195.52 or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes. Organizations should implement strict browser update policies and consider automated update mechanisms to ensure timely patch deployment. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual UI interaction patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while network security controls can help prevent delivery of malicious content that might trigger the vulnerability. The fix addresses the underlying memory management issue by ensuring proper invalidation of tab references and implementing additional safeguards against accessing freed memory blocks. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management in browser environments and aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software development practices. The attack pattern associated with this vulnerability corresponds to techniques found in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and code execution tactics, highlighting the need for comprehensive security controls across multiple attack vectors.