CVE-2022-0973: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2022-0973 Overview

CVE-2022-0973 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Safe Browsing component of Google Chrome prior to version 99.0.4844.74. This memory corruption flaw allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page, leading to arbitrary code execution within the context of the browser.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit heap corruption through malicious web pages, potentially achieving code execution with user privileges and browser sandbox escape.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome versions prior to 99.0.4844.74
• Chromium-based browsers using vulnerable Safe Browsing implementations

Discovery Timeline

• 2022-07-21 - CVE-2022-0973 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-0973

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-416 (Use After Free), a memory safety issue where a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed. In the context of Google Chrome's Safe Browsing component, this flaw occurs when the browser processes specially crafted HTML content.

The Safe Browsing feature is responsible for protecting users from malicious websites, phishing attempts, and dangerous downloads. When processing certain malicious HTML pages, the component incorrectly handles memory deallocation, leaving dangling pointers that can be exploited by attackers.

The network-based attack vector means that exploitation can occur remotely through malicious web content. The scope change characteristic indicates that successful exploitation can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component's security scope, potentially allowing sandbox escape.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2022-0973 lies in improper memory management within the Safe Browsing component. When certain objects are freed during HTML page processing, references to those objects are not properly invalidated. Subsequent use of these dangling pointers leads to use-after-free conditions.

This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in browser contexts because:

• The heap layout can be manipulated through JavaScript
• Freed memory can be reclaimed with attacker-controlled data
• Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires user interaction—specifically, a victim must visit a malicious webpage containing the crafted HTML payload. The attacker hosts or injects malicious HTML content that triggers the use-after-free condition when processed by Chrome's Safe Browsing component.

The exploitation flow involves:

1. The attacker crafts a malicious HTML page designed to trigger specific memory allocation and deallocation patterns
2. The victim navigates to the malicious page using a vulnerable Chrome version
3. The Safe Browsing component processes the page and frees certain memory objects
4. The attacker's payload triggers reuse of the freed memory with controlled data
5. Heap corruption occurs, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, refer to the Chromium Bug Report #1297498 and the Google Chrome Stable Update announcement.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-0973

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected Chrome crashes or instability when visiting certain websites
• Chrome memory usage anomalies or heap corruption errors in crash dumps
• Suspicious outbound connections originating from Chrome processes
• Evidence of browser sandbox escape attempts in system logs

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Chrome version across enterprise endpoints to identify instances running versions prior to 99.0.4844.74
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying heap corruption exploitation patterns
• Implement browser telemetry collection to detect anomalous Safe Browsing component behavior
• Utilize memory protection technologies to detect use-after-free exploitation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure centralized logging for browser crash reports and analyze for heap corruption signatures
• Implement network monitoring to detect potential exploit delivery via malicious web pages
• Deploy SentinelOne agents to detect post-exploitation activities following browser compromise
• Monitor for unusual child processes spawned by Chrome that may indicate sandbox escape

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-0973

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 99.0.4844.74 or later immediately across all endpoints
• Enable automatic Chrome updates to ensure timely patch deployment
• Audit enterprise environments for any Chrome installations running vulnerable versions
• Consider implementing browser isolation for high-risk users pending patch deployment

Patch Information

Google addressed this vulnerability in the Chrome Stable Channel update released on March 15, 2022. The fix is included in Chrome version 99.0.4844.74 and all subsequent releases.

Users should update their Chrome installations immediately by navigating to chrome://settings/help or enabling automatic updates. Enterprise administrators should deploy updates through their management infrastructure.

For additional details, consult the Google Chrome Stable Channel Update and the Gentoo GLSA 202208-25 security advisory.

Workarounds

• Limit access to untrusted websites using web filtering or proxy solutions until patches can be applied
• Consider using alternative browsers temporarily for high-risk browsing activities
• Implement strict site isolation in Chrome via chrome://flags/#site-isolation-trial-opt-out
• Deploy network-level protections to block known malicious domains

# Verify Chrome version on Linux/macOS
google-chrome --version

# Force Chrome update check
# Navigate to chrome://settings/help in the browser

# Enterprise deployment - update Chrome via package manager (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade google-chrome-stable