CVE-2022-3723: Google Chrome V8 Type Confusion Vulnerability

CVE-2022-3723 Overview

CVE-2022-3723 is a type confusion vulnerability in the V8 JavaScript engine used by Google Chrome. This vulnerability exists in Chrome versions prior to 107.0.5304.87 and allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. The vulnerability has been assigned a Chromium security severity rating of High.

Type confusion vulnerabilities in V8 are particularly dangerous because they can lead to memory corruption, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code within the browser's sandbox or potentially escape it entirely. When a user visits a malicious web page, the attacker can leverage this flaw to corrupt heap memory structures, ultimately gaining control over program execution.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and has been added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Immediate patching is essential as attackers are using this flaw to target users through malicious web pages.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome versions prior to 107.0.5304.87
• Chromium-based browsers using vulnerable V8 engine versions
• Microsoft Edge and other browsers built on Chromium (prior to corresponding patches)

Discovery Timeline

• 2022-10-27 - Google releases security patch in Chrome 107.0.5304.87
• 2022-11-01 - CVE-2022-3723 published to NVD
• 2025-10-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-3723

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-843 (Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type, also known as "Type Confusion"). The flaw resides in V8, Google Chrome's high-performance JavaScript and WebAssembly engine. Type confusion occurs when a program allocates or initializes a resource as one type but later accesses it using a type that is incompatible with the original type.

In the context of V8, the JavaScript engine uses sophisticated optimization techniques including Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation. During these optimization passes, the engine makes assumptions about object types to generate efficient machine code. When these assumptions are violated or when type information is incorrectly propagated, the engine may access memory using an incorrect type, leading to memory corruption.

The vulnerability can be triggered remotely through a specially crafted HTML page containing malicious JavaScript. This makes it an attractive target for attackers as no user interaction beyond visiting a web page is required.

Root Cause

The root cause is a type confusion error within V8's type tracking or optimization pipeline. This class of vulnerability typically arises when:

1. The JIT compiler makes incorrect assumptions about an object's type during optimization
2. Type guards or checks are improperly implemented or bypassed
3. Object shape transitions are not correctly tracked across execution paths

When the type confusion occurs, V8 may treat an object of one type as another, causing misaligned memory access. This can corrupt adjacent heap memory, potentially allowing an attacker to overwrite critical data structures such as function pointers or object metadata.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires user interaction—specifically, the victim must navigate to a malicious web page controlled by the attacker. The attack flow typically involves:

1. Attacker hosts a crafted HTML page containing malicious JavaScript
2. Victim navigates to the malicious page (via phishing, malvertising, or compromised website)
3. Malicious JavaScript triggers the type confusion in V8
4. Heap corruption occurs, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution
5. Attacker may achieve code execution within Chrome's sandbox or chain with additional exploits

The vulnerability manifests through specially crafted JavaScript that exploits type handling inconsistencies in V8. For detailed technical analysis, refer to the Chromium Bug Report and the Google Chrome Update Post for additional context on the security fix.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-3723

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual Chrome renderer process crashes or unexpected browser termination
• Suspicious JavaScript execution patterns involving object type manipulation
• Network connections to known malicious domains hosting exploit kits
• Anomalous heap memory allocation patterns in browser processes
• Post-exploitation indicators such as unexpected child processes spawned by Chrome

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for Chrome versions below 107.0.5304.87 across the enterprise environment
• Deploy browser-based threat detection capable of identifying JavaScript exploit patterns
• Implement network-level inspection for known exploit kit signatures and malicious redirect chains
• Enable Chrome's built-in crash reporting and monitor for V8-related crash signatures
• Utilize endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify suspicious browser process behavior

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure centralized logging for browser crash events and correlate with network activity
• Monitor DNS queries for domains associated with known exploit kit infrastructure
• Track Chrome version deployment status across all endpoints using asset management tools
• Enable SentinelOne's browser threat protection to detect and block exploitation attempts in real-time
• Review CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerability entry for updated threat intelligence

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-3723

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 107.0.5304.87 or later immediately
• Enable automatic Chrome updates to ensure timely security patch deployment
• Verify all Chromium-based browsers (Edge, Brave, Opera) have received corresponding patches
• Consider temporarily restricting access to untrusted websites on unpatched systems
• Review SentinelOne alerts for any indicators of exploitation attempts

Patch Information

Google addressed this vulnerability in Chrome version 107.0.5304.87, released on October 27, 2022. The fix was included in a stable channel update for desktop platforms. Organizations should verify patch deployment using the Google Chrome Update Post as a reference.

For Linux distributions, security advisories such as Gentoo GLSA-202305-10 provide distribution-specific patching guidance.

Chrome's automatic update mechanism should apply this patch automatically. Administrators can verify the installed version by navigating to chrome://settings/help and confirming the version is 107.0.5304.87 or later.

Workarounds

• Deploy network-level content filtering to block access to known malicious domains
• Consider using browser isolation technology to contain potential exploitation attempts
• Disable JavaScript execution for untrusted sites using Chrome's site settings (may impact functionality)
• Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers on internal web applications
• Use SentinelOne's network protection capabilities to detect and block exploit delivery

# Verify Chrome version on Linux/macOS systems
google-chrome --version
# Expected output: Google Chrome 107.0.5304.87 or later

# Force Chrome update check (requires restart)
# Navigate to chrome://settings/help in browser

# Enterprise deployment: Use Chrome Enterprise policies
# to enforce minimum version requirements