CVE-2022-2856: Google Chrome RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2022-2856 Overview

CVE-2022-2856 is an insufficient input validation vulnerability affecting the Intents component in Google Chrome on Android. This flaw allowed remote attackers to arbitrarily redirect users to malicious websites through specially crafted HTML pages. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of untrusted input in Chrome's Android Intent system, which is responsible for inter-application communication on the Android platform.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, indicating confirmed active exploitation in the wild. Attackers can leverage this flaw to redirect victims to malicious websites without their knowledge or consent, potentially leading to phishing attacks, malware distribution, or credential theft.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome (prior to version 104.0.5112.101)
• Google Android (Chrome browser component)
• Google Chrome on Apple macOS
• Google Chrome on Linux
• Google Chrome on Microsoft Windows
• Fedora 37 (bundled Chrome packages)

Discovery Timeline

• 2022-08-16 - Google releases security patch in Chrome 104.0.5112.101
• 2022-09-26 - CVE-2022-2856 published to NVD
• 2025-10-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-2856

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability resides in the Intents handling mechanism within Google Chrome for Android. Android Intents serve as a messaging system that allows applications to communicate with each other, request actions, and share data. When Chrome processes web content that triggers Intent-based navigation, it should rigorously validate all input parameters to ensure the requested action is safe and authorized.

The flaw occurs because Chrome failed to adequately validate untrusted input before processing Intent-related requests. This allows an attacker to craft a malicious HTML page that, when loaded by a victim, triggers an Intent that navigates the browser to an attacker-controlled website. The attack requires user interaction (visiting a malicious page), but once triggered, the navigation occurs without additional user consent.

Root Cause

The root cause is classified as CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation). The Chrome Intent handling code did not properly sanitize or validate URL parameters and Intent targets before executing navigation requests. This oversight allowed attackers to bypass Chrome's normal navigation security controls and force arbitrary URL navigation through the Intent mechanism.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker must:

1. Create a malicious HTML page containing specially crafted Intent triggers
2. Lure the victim to visit this page (via phishing, malicious ads, or compromised websites)
3. When the victim loads the page, the crafted Intent is processed
4. Chrome's insufficient validation allows the Intent to redirect the browser to the attacker's malicious website

The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass normal navigation protections, enabling silent redirects to phishing sites, malware distribution points, or exploit kits. The attack particularly impacts the integrity of user browsing sessions, as users may not realize they have been redirected to a malicious domain.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-2856

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected browser redirects to unfamiliar domains when visiting legitimate websites
• Chrome browser activity logs showing unusual Intent-based navigation events
• Network traffic to known malicious domains following visits to compromised web pages
• User reports of landing on phishing or suspicious websites unexpectedly

Detection Strategies

• Monitor endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions for anomalous Chrome process behavior on Android devices
• Deploy web proxy or secure web gateway rules to detect and block known malicious redirect destinations
• Implement network traffic analysis to identify unexpected domain redirects following user browsing sessions
• Utilize threat intelligence feeds to correlate visited URLs with known exploit page indicators

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed browser logging on managed devices to capture Intent processing events
• Configure SIEM rules to alert on patterns of rapid redirects or navigation to newly registered domains
• Establish baseline browser behavior metrics to identify anomalous redirect patterns
• Monitor for Chrome crash reports or stability issues that may indicate exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-2856

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 104.0.5112.101 or later immediately on all affected platforms
• Prioritize updates for Android devices where the vulnerability has the most direct impact
• Enable automatic Chrome updates to ensure timely deployment of security patches
• For Fedora 37 users, apply the latest Chrome package updates via the package manager

Patch Information

Google addressed this vulnerability in the Chrome 104.0.5112.101 stable channel update released on August 16, 2022. The patch improves input validation for Intent handling to prevent arbitrary website navigation. Organizations should verify Chrome version compliance across their device fleet and ensure automatic updates are enabled.

For detailed patch information, refer to the Google Chrome Stable Update announcement. Additional technical details are available in Chrome Bug Report #1345630.

Workarounds

• If immediate patching is not possible, consider temporarily restricting access to untrusted websites through web filtering
• Implement browser isolation technologies to contain potential exploit attempts
• Educate users about the risks of clicking links from unknown sources and phishing awareness
• Deploy network-level protections to block known malicious redirect destinations

# Verify Chrome version on Linux/macOS
google-chrome --version
# Expected: Google Chrome 104.0.5112.101 or higher

# Force Chrome update check (Linux)
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade google-chrome-stable

# For Fedora systems
sudo dnf update chromium