CVE-2022-3075: Google Chrome Mojo RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2022-3075 Overview

CVE-2022-3075 is an input validation vulnerability in the Mojo inter-process communication (IPC) layer of Google Chrome before version 105.0.5195.102. A remote attacker who has already compromised the renderer process can leverage insufficient data validation in Mojo to escape the Chrome sandbox using a crafted HTML page. CISA added this flaw to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming exploitation in the wild. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-20: Improper Input Validation] and affects desktop Chrome on Windows, macOS, and Linux, plus downstream distributions such as Fedora 37.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to break out of the Chrome renderer sandbox and execute code in a higher-privileged browser process, leading to full compromise of the user session.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome versions prior to 105.0.5195.102
• Fedora Project Fedora 37
• Gentoo Linux Chromium packages prior to the fixed release

Discovery Timeline

• 2022-09-26 - CVE-2022-3075 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
• 2022-09-02 - Google releases Chrome stable channel update 105.0.5195.102 containing the fix
• 2025-10-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-3075

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in Mojo, the IPC system Chrome uses to broker communication between the sandboxed renderer process and higher-privileged processes such as the browser process and GPU process. Mojo validates the structure and contents of messages crossing process boundaries. Insufficient validation in this layer permits a malicious or compromised renderer to send messages that the receiving process accepts and acts upon when it should reject them.

Exploitation requires a two-stage attack chain. The attacker first achieves code execution inside the renderer process, typically through a separate memory corruption vulnerability triggered by a crafted HTML page. The attacker then issues malformed Mojo IPC messages to a privileged endpoint that fails to validate them correctly, achieving a sandbox escape into the parent process context.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper input validation [CWE-20] within Mojo message handlers. Trust boundaries between the renderer and browser processes were not enforced consistently, allowing crafted IPC payloads to bypass safety checks. Google withheld granular technical details in the public advisory, a standard practice while patch adoption is in progress. The Chromium bug tracker entry crbug.com/1358134 remains access-restricted.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction, typically visiting a malicious or compromised website. The page delivers a renderer exploit, then weaponizes the Mojo validation flaw to escape the sandbox. Because the attack changes scope from the renderer process to the browser process, the resulting compromise breaks the security model that isolates web content from the operating system.

No public proof-of-concept code or ExploitDB entry is available. The vulnerability is referenced in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating confirmed in-the-wild exploitation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-3075

Indicators of Compromise

• Chrome browser processes spawning unexpected child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or shell interpreters following web browsing activity
• Renderer processes (--type=renderer) writing to disk locations outside the standard Chrome cache and profile directories
• Outbound network connections from chrome.exe to recently registered or low-reputation domains immediately after visiting an unfamiliar page
• Chrome version reported as earlier than 105.0.5195.102 in enterprise asset inventories

Detection Strategies

• Inventory installed Chrome versions across the fleet and flag any host running a build older than 105.0.5195.102
• Monitor for anomalous parent-child process relationships originating from chrome.exe, particularly renderer-to-browser process transitions followed by unusual system activity
• Correlate web proxy logs with endpoint telemetry to identify users who visited suspicious URLs preceding suspicious Chrome process behavior

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enterprise browser telemetry through Chrome Browser Cloud Management to collect extension, navigation, and crash data
• Forward endpoint process creation events (Windows Event ID 4688, Sysmon Event ID 1) to a centralized SIEM for correlation
• Track Chrome crash reports and renderer crashes, as exploitation attempts often produce abnormal crash signatures before succeeding

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-3075

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 105.0.5195.102 or later on all Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints
• Patch Fedora 37 systems using the package update referenced in the Fedora package announce notice
• Apply the Gentoo update described in GLSA 202209-23 for affected Gentoo systems
• Verify Chromium-based browsers built on the same engine, such as Microsoft Edge and Brave, are updated to their corresponding patched builds

Patch Information

Google shipped the fix in the stable channel update announced in the Chrome Releases blog post. Restart the browser after updating to ensure the new version is active. Confirm the running version through chrome://settings/help.

Workarounds

• No vendor-provided workaround exists; patching is the only supported remediation
• Restrict browsing to trusted sites through web filtering and DNS filtering until patches are deployed organization-wide
• Enforce automatic Chrome updates through enterprise policy to reduce exposure windows for future browser vulnerabilities

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

# Update on Fedora
sudo dnf update -y chromium

# Update on Gentoo
sudo emerge --update --ask www-client/chromium

# Enforce auto-update via Windows Group Policy registry key
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Google\Update" /v UpdateDefault /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f