CVE-2022-4262: Google Chrome V8 RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2022-4262 Overview

CVE-2022-4262 is a type confusion vulnerability in the V8 JavaScript engine used by Google Chrome. This flaw exists in Chrome versions prior to 108.0.5359.94 and allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption through a specially crafted HTML page. The vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild and is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability enables remote attackers to achieve heap corruption through type confusion in V8, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution when a user visits a malicious webpage. Active exploitation has been confirmed in the wild.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome versions prior to 108.0.5359.94
• Chromium-based browsers using vulnerable V8 engine versions
• All platforms running affected Chrome versions (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Discovery Timeline

• December 2, 2022 - CVE-2022-4262 published to NVD
• October 24, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-4262

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-843 (Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type, commonly known as Type Confusion). Type confusion occurs when a program allocates or initializes a resource using one type but later accesses that resource using an incompatible type. In the context of V8, Chrome's JavaScript engine, this can lead to serious memory safety issues.

V8 uses sophisticated optimization techniques to achieve high JavaScript execution performance. When type confusion occurs in this context, the engine may misinterpret the memory layout of objects, leading to out-of-bounds memory access or corruption of adjacent memory regions. Attackers can leverage this to achieve arbitrary read/write primitives, which can then be chained to achieve code execution.

The vulnerability requires user interaction—specifically, the victim must navigate to an attacker-controlled or compromised webpage containing the malicious payload. Once triggered, the heap corruption can potentially be weaponized to escape the browser sandbox and execute arbitrary code on the victim's system.

Root Cause

The root cause is a type confusion flaw in Google Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine. The engine incorrectly handles certain type transitions or object conversions, allowing an attacker to craft JavaScript code that causes the engine to treat an object as a different type than it actually is. This misinterpretation leads to heap memory corruption when the incorrectly-typed object is accessed or manipulated.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no privileges but requiring user interaction. An attacker must entice a victim to visit a malicious webpage containing specially crafted HTML and JavaScript code. The attack flow typically involves:

1. Attacker hosts or injects malicious content into a webpage
2. Victim navigates to the compromised page using a vulnerable Chrome version
3. The crafted JavaScript triggers the type confusion in V8
4. Heap corruption occurs, potentially allowing the attacker to gain control of execution flow
5. Attacker achieves code execution within the renderer process, with potential sandbox escape

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited simply by visiting a webpage—no additional user actions like downloading files or clicking prompts are required beyond the initial navigation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-4262

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual Chrome renderer process crashes or memory corruption errors in system logs
• JavaScript execution anomalies detected by browser-based security extensions
• Network traffic to known malicious domains serving exploit kits
• Suspicious process spawning from Chrome renderer processes indicating potential sandbox escape

Detection Strategies

• Monitor browser version inventories across the enterprise to identify unpatched Chrome installations below 108.0.5359.94
• Deploy endpoint detection rules to identify heap spray techniques and unusual memory allocation patterns in browser processes
• Implement network-level inspection for known exploit kit traffic patterns and malicious JavaScript obfuscation techniques
• Enable Chrome's enhanced protection mode and monitor for warnings about dangerous sites

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure centralized logging for browser crash reports and analyze for patterns indicating exploitation attempts
• Implement application whitelisting and monitor for unexpected child processes spawned from browser contexts
• Deploy SentinelOne Singularity platform to detect behavioral anomalies associated with browser exploitation and sandbox escape attempts
• Monitor for unusual network connections originating from browser processes to command and control infrastructure

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-4262

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 108.0.5359.94 or later immediately across all endpoints
• Enable automatic Chrome updates to ensure timely patching of future vulnerabilities
• Verify Chrome update status using chrome://version or enterprise management tools
• Consider restricting access to untrusted websites until patching is complete
• Deploy SentinelOne endpoint protection to detect and block exploitation attempts

Patch Information

Google has released a security update addressing this vulnerability in Chrome version 108.0.5359.94. Organizations should immediately update all Chrome installations to this version or later. The fix addresses the type confusion issue in V8 by implementing proper type checking and validation. For detailed information, refer to the Google Chrome Update Announcement and Chromium Bug Report #1394403.

This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, indicating confirmed active exploitation and requiring federal agencies to apply mitigations within specified deadlines.

Workarounds

• Implement network-level filtering to block access to known malicious domains and suspicious JavaScript content
• Deploy browser isolation solutions to contain potential exploitation in sandboxed environments
• Consider using alternative browsers temporarily if immediate patching is not feasible
• Enable Chrome's Site Isolation feature to provide additional process-level isolation between sites

# Verify Chrome version and check for updates
# Linux/macOS command to check Chrome version
google-chrome --version

# Windows PowerShell to check installed Chrome version
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\chrome.exe" | Select-Object -ExpandProperty "(Default)"

# Force Chrome update check via command line (restart required)
# Navigate to chrome://settings/help to trigger update