CVE-2022-4191 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 11/30/2022
Use after free in Sign-In in Google Chrome prior to 108.0.5359.71 allowed a remote attacker who convinced a user to engage in specific UI interaction to potentially exploit heap corruption via profile destruction. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/24/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition in Google Chrome's sign-in functionality that could enable remote code execution through carefully crafted user interactions. The flaw exists in the browser's handling of profile destruction processes during authentication workflows, creating a window where freed memory could be accessed and potentially manipulated by malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically affects Chrome versions prior to 108.0.5359.71 and demonstrates the dangerous implications of improper memory management in web browsers where user interactions can trigger exploitable code paths.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a classic memory safety issue where the browser's sign-in component fails to properly manage object lifecycles during profile destruction sequences. When a user engages in specific UI interactions related to authentication, the system may attempt to free memory associated with authentication profiles while other components still reference those memory locations. This creates a use-after-free condition that attackers can potentially exploit to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process. The Chromium security severity classification of Medium reflects the complexity required to achieve exploitation, though the potential impact remains significant given the privileged nature of browser processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple heap corruption, as it provides a potential pathway for attackers to escalate privileges and execute malicious payloads within the browser environment. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability by crafting specific web pages or user interaction sequences that trigger the problematic code path, potentially leading to complete browser compromise. The attack vector requires user engagement, which aligns with the common pattern of social engineering in browser-based exploits, but the underlying memory corruption provides a solid foundation for more sophisticated attacks. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-416 which specifically addresses use-after-free errors in software implementations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability focus on immediate patching of affected Chrome versions and implementation of additional security controls. Organizations should prioritize updating to Chrome 108.0.5359.71 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the memory management issues. Browser security features such as address space layout randomization and heap hardening should remain enabled as additional protective measures. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of user education regarding suspicious web interactions and the need for continuous security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. From an attack surface perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for executing malicious code through browser-based attacks, emphasizing the need for comprehensive browser security hardening measures including sandboxing and privilege separation mechanisms.