CVE-2022-1096
Google Chromium V8 Type Confusion Vulnerability
Description
CVE-2022-1096 is a type confusion vulnerability in the V8 JavaScript engine used by Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers. This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the browser's renderer process. It was actively exploited as a zero-day and added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. With an EPSS score of 63.7% (98.4th percentile), this vulnerability represents a significant browser-based threat.
KEV Information
CVSS Score
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HOpen in CalculatorAffected Products
| Vendor | Product | Version |
|---|---|---|
| chrome | < 99.0.4844.84 |
Multiple CVSS Assessments
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/03/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_25.html(Release Notes, Vendor Advisory)
- https://crbug.com/1309225(Permissions Required, Vendor Advisory)
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-25(Third Party Advisory)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2022-1096(US Government Resource)
Weakness Type
CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion')
Type confusion occurs when a program accesses a resource using a type that is incompatible with its actual type, leading to out-of-bounds memory access, heap corruption, and potentially arbitrary code execution. In CVE-2022-1096, the V8 JavaScript engine incorrectly handles type transitions during JIT compilation, allowing exploitation through crafted JavaScript code. For more details, see CWE-843.
Impact Analysis
Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code within the Chrome renderer process sandbox when a user visits a malicious or compromised website. While Chrome's multi-process architecture and sandbox provide defense-in-depth, code execution within the renderer process can still access sensitive data within the browser tab's context. When combined with a sandbox escape vulnerability, this type confusion could lead to full system compromise. The widespread use of Chromium-based browsers including Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Brave means that a significant portion of internet users were potentially at risk.
Exploit Maturity
CVE-2022-1096 was actively exploited as a zero-day and was added to CISA's KEV catalog on March 28, 2022. Google acknowledged the zero-day exploitation in its Chrome security advisory. The EPSS score of 63.7% (98.4th percentile) indicates significant exploitation activity. V8 type confusion vulnerabilities are highly valued by exploit developers due to the powerful exploitation primitives they provide. The zero-day status indicates exploitation by sophisticated actors prior to patch availability.
Remediation
- Update Google Chrome to version 99.0.4844.84 or later, and all other Chromium-based browsers to their corresponding patched versions, as required by CISA's KEV catalog.
- Enable automatic browser updates to ensure timely application of future security patches.
- Deploy enterprise browser management policies that enforce minimum browser version requirements across the organization.
- Consider implementing browser isolation solutions for high-risk browsing activities to contain potential exploitation.
- Monitor for and investigate unusual browser process behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts, such as unexpected child processes spawned by the browser.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides in the V8 JavaScript engine's Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation pipeline, which optimizes JavaScript execution by compiling frequently executed code paths to native machine code. A type confusion bug in the JIT compiler's type inference logic causes it to make incorrect assumptions about the types of JavaScript objects during optimization. When the optimized code executes with an object of an unexpected type, it accesses memory using incorrect offsets and sizes, leading to heap corruption. An attacker can exploit this by crafting JavaScript code that triggers the type confusion condition, then uses the resulting heap corruption to build exploitation primitives for arbitrary read/write access within the renderer process memory space.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2022-1096?
CVE-2022-1096 is a type confusion vulnerability in the V8 JavaScript engine used by Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers. It allows attackers to execute code within the browser's renderer process when a user visits a malicious web page.
Which browsers are affected?
All Chromium-based browsers are affected, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Brave, Vivaldi, and others. Each browser vendor released their own patches based on the V8 engine fix.
Can simply visiting a website trigger this exploit?
Yes, type confusion vulnerabilities in V8 can be triggered by JavaScript code on a web page. Simply visiting a malicious or compromised website could trigger exploitation without any additional user interaction.
Was this used in real-world attacks?
Yes, Google confirmed that CVE-2022-1096 was actively exploited as a zero-day before the patch was released. The specific details of the attacks and targeted victims were not publicly disclosed by Google.
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