CVE-2022-4194 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 11/30/2022
Use after free in Accessibility in Google Chrome prior to 108.0.5359.71 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (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 within Google Chrome's accessibility subsystem that could enable remote code execution through malicious web content. The flaw exists in the way Chrome handles accessibility features when processing crafted HTML pages, creating a scenario where freed memory blocks are still referenced, leading to potential heap corruption. The vulnerability falls under the category of memory safety issues that are particularly dangerous in browser environments where arbitrary code execution can occur. This type of vulnerability is classified as a CWE-416 Use After Free, which is a well-documented weakness in software security where a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed. The Chromium security team assigned it a medium severity rating, though the potential impact for exploitation remains significant due to the accessibility component's privileged access within the browser.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious web page triggers the accessibility subsystem to process malformed HTML content that causes memory allocation and deallocation patterns to become corrupted. When the accessibility features attempt to access memory that has already been freed, the heap structure becomes compromised, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate memory contents or execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process. This type of heap corruption can be leveraged to bypass modern security mitigations such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention. The attack vector requires only a victim to visit a malicious webpage, making it particularly dangerous for phishing campaigns and drive-by download scenarios. The vulnerability demonstrates how accessibility features, while intended to improve user experience, can inadvertently create security attack surfaces when not properly validated.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to organizations relying on Chrome browsers for daily operations, as it can be exploited through standard web browsing activities without any user interaction beyond visiting a compromised site. The medium severity classification by Chromium does not diminish the potential for successful exploitation in real-world scenarios, particularly when combined with other vulnerabilities or when targeting specific user groups. Security teams must consider this vulnerability as part of their threat modeling exercises, especially in environments where users may encounter untrusted web content. The impact extends beyond individual user compromise to potentially affect entire organizational networks, as successful exploitation could lead to persistent backdoors or lateral movement capabilities. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1071.001 for Application Layer Protocol, as it enables remote code execution through web-based attack vectors.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of Chrome browsers to version 108.0.5359.71 or later, as this represents the first fixed release addressing the vulnerability. Additional mitigations include implementing strict web content filtering, disabling unnecessary accessibility features for users who do not require them, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious HTML content. Security monitoring should focus on unusual browser behavior, memory access patterns, and attempts to execute code in browser processes. Regular security assessments should evaluate the interaction between accessibility features and web content processing, as these components often represent overlooked attack surfaces in security audits. The vulnerability underscores the importance of comprehensive security testing for all browser subsystems, particularly those that provide enhanced user functionality while operating in potentially hostile environments.