CVE-2022-4916 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/29/2023
Use after free in Media in Google Chrome prior to 103.0.5060.53 allowed a remote attacker to perform arbitrary read/write via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/24/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition in the media handling components of Google Chrome browser. The flaw exists within the memory management subsystem where freed memory blocks are still accessible to subsequent operations, creating opportunities for memory corruption attacks. The vulnerability affects Chrome versions prior to 103.0.5060.53 and is classified as high severity by Chromium security team. The issue arises when the browser processes crafted HTML content that triggers improper memory deallocation followed by reuse, allowing attackers to manipulate memory contents through malicious page construction.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of memory management errors within the media processing pipeline. When Chrome encounters specific multimedia elements in web pages, it allocates memory for media objects and subsequently frees them during normal processing. However, under certain conditions with crafted input, the application continues to reference these freed memory locations, enabling attackers to control the memory layout. This creates a scenario where arbitrary read and write operations can be performed by manipulating the freed memory blocks to point to desired locations in memory. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the browser level, allowing remote code execution through web-based attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond typical web security concerns as it enables sophisticated attack vectors that can compromise entire user systems. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code on victim machines without requiring local privileges, making it particularly attractive for drive-by download attacks and phishing campaigns. The use-after-free condition creates a persistent memory corruption state that can be exploited to overwrite critical data structures, function pointers, or even jump to attacker-controlled code. This vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild, demonstrating its practical threat level and the importance of timely patching. The attack surface includes any user interaction with malicious web content, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may encounter compromised websites.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to the latest stable release containing the fix. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies and consider using automated patch management systems to ensure timely deployment of security fixes. Network security controls such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems can provide additional layers of protection by blocking known malicious content. Security teams should monitor exploit trends and implement behavioral analysis tools to detect anomalous memory access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack tree framework, particularly those involving memory corruption exploits. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms and privilege separation techniques to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should include verification of patched browser versions to ensure complete remediation of the vulnerability.