CVE-2022-3885 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 11/09/2022
Use after free in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 107.0.5304.106 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-3885 represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the V8 JavaScript engine that powers Google Chrome and Chromium-based browsers. This issue arises from improper memory management practices where freed memory locations are still accessed or referenced by subsequent operations, creating a potential pathway for malicious exploitation. The vulnerability affects Chrome versions prior to 107.0.5304.106 and is classified as high severity by the Chromium security team, indicating significant risk to user security and system integrity.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from V8's garbage collection mechanisms and memory management routines that fail to properly track object references after memory deallocation. When a JavaScript object is freed from memory but references to it persist within the engine's internal structures, subsequent operations may attempt to access this freed memory region. This creates a heap corruption condition that can be exploited by remote attackers who craft malicious HTML pages designed to trigger specific memory allocation patterns. The flaw typically manifests when complex JavaScript objects with intricate reference cycles are manipulated in ways that cause premature deallocation while still maintaining active references within the engine's execution context.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-3885 extends beyond simple browser instability, as it provides attackers with a potential pathway for arbitrary code execution on compromised systems. Remote attackers can craft specially designed web pages that, when loaded in affected browsers, trigger the use-after-free condition and subsequently execute malicious payloads. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software systems, and represents a classic example of heap-based memory corruption that can be leveraged for privilege escalation or system compromise. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the exploitation occurs through standard web browsing activities, making it difficult for users to defend against without proper patch management.
Security practitioners should recognize this vulnerability as a critical component of the attack chain that maps to several ATT&CK techniques including initial access through malicious web content and privilege escalation via memory corruption exploits. The vulnerability demonstrates the inherent complexity of modern JavaScript engines where the sophisticated memory management systems can introduce subtle flaws that are challenging to detect through conventional testing methods. Organizations must prioritize immediate patch deployment for all affected Chrome versions, as the window for exploitation remains open until the security update is applied. The remediation process should include comprehensive browser updates across all endpoints and potentially implement additional security measures such as sandboxing configurations and content filtering to reduce exposure risk while patches are deployed.