CVE-2022-3886 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 11/09/2022
Use after free in Speech Recognition 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)
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-3886 represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Google Chrome's speech recognition component that existed prior to version 107.0.5304.106. This issue falls under the broader category of memory safety vulnerabilities and demonstrates how complex web browser components can introduce significant security risks when proper memory management practices are not adhered to. The vulnerability specifically affects the speech recognition functionality within Chrome's browser engine, which processes audio input and converts it to text through JavaScript APIs. The flaw occurs when the browser fails to properly manage memory references after objects are freed from the heap, creating a scenario where malicious code could potentially exploit this condition to execute arbitrary code on the target system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a scenario where speech recognition objects are prematurely freed from memory while still being referenced by active JavaScript code or callback functions. When the browser attempts to access these freed memory locations, it results in heap corruption that can be leveraged by remote attackers. The exploit requires a crafted HTML page that triggers specific conditions within the speech recognition API, causing the system to free memory associated with speech recognition objects while maintaining references to them. This creates a window where attacker-controlled data can be written to the freed memory locations, potentially allowing for code execution or information disclosure. The Chromium security severity classification of High indicates the significant risk this vulnerability poses to users, as it can be exploited remotely without user interaction and potentially leads to complete system compromise.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a substantial risk for Chrome users since speech recognition APIs are commonly used in web applications and can be easily accessed through standard web browsing activities. The attack surface is particularly concerning because speech recognition functionality is often enabled by default in modern browsers, and the vulnerability can be triggered through simple web pages that do not require any special privileges or user actions. The heap corruption aspect of this flaw means that attackers can potentially overwrite critical memory structures, leading to unpredictable behavior including privilege escalation, information leakage, or complete system compromise. Security researchers have classified this vulnerability as particularly dangerous due to the potential for remote code execution in the context of the browser process, which typically has extensive system access permissions.
Organizations and individual users should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to Chrome version 107.0.5304.106 or later, which includes patches addressing this specific use-after-free condition. The mitigation strategy should also include monitoring for any suspicious web activity that might attempt to trigger this vulnerability, particularly in environments where users access untrusted websites. Network security teams should consider implementing web filtering solutions that can block access to known malicious domains that might host exploit code targeting this vulnerability. From a defensive standpoint, browser vendors should continue to emphasize the importance of memory safety practices and automated testing of complex browser components. This vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack technique matrix, particularly those involving memory corruption exploits that leverage browser components. The issue also relates to CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions, and demonstrates how seemingly benign browser features can become attack vectors when proper memory management is not implemented. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as sandboxing and privilege separation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.