CVE-2022-3038
Google Chromium Network Service Use-After-Free Vulnerability
Description
CVE-2022-3038 is a high-severity use-after-free vulnerability in the Network Service component of Google Chrome prior to version 105.0.5195.52. The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption through a specially crafted HTML page, which could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the browser process. CVE-2022-3038 has been added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. With an EPSS score of 36.0% (97th percentile), this use-after-free vulnerability represents a significant exploitation risk for users running unpatched versions of Google Chrome or Chromium-based browsers.
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 | < 105.0.5195.52 | |
| fedoraproject | fedora | 37 |
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
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/168596/Google-Chrome-103.0.5060.53-network-URLLoader-NotifyCompleted-Heap-Use-After-Free.html(Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2022/08/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_30.html(Release Notes, Vendor Advisory)
- https://crbug.com/1340253(Exploit, Vendor Advisory)
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/T4NMJURTG5RO3TGD7ZMIQ6Z4ZZ3SAVYE/(Mailing List)
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202209-23(Third Party Advisory)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2022-3038(US Government Resource)
Weakness Type
CWE-416: Use After Free
The use-after-free weakness in CVE-2022-3038 occurs in Google Chrome's Network Service when previously freed memory is referenced during network request processing. A remote attacker can trigger this condition through a crafted HTML page, causing the browser to access invalid memory and potentially achieve arbitrary code execution through heap corruption.
Learn more: CWE-416 — Use After Free
Impact Analysis
CVE-2022-3038 carries a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.8 (High), indicating a serious security risk for Google Chrome users. Attack Vector (Network): The vulnerability is remotely exploitable without physical access; an attacker simply needs to lure a victim to a malicious web page. Attack Complexity (Low): Exploitation is straightforward and does not require special conditions or advanced techniques. Privileges Required (None): No authentication or elevated privileges are needed by the attacker. User Interaction (Required): The victim must navigate to a crafted HTML page for the exploit to trigger. Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (all High): Successful exploitation through heap corruption can grant the attacker full read and write access to browser process memory, the ability to execute arbitrary code, and the potential to crash the browser or underlying system. The EPSS score of 36.0% (97th percentile) indicates a very high likelihood of active exploitation.
Exploit Maturity
Public exploit code is available for CVE-2022-3038 via Packet Storm Security, detailing the heap use-after-free condition in Chrome's URLLoader NotifyCompleted function. A vendor-confirmed exploit report is also available through the Chromium bug tracker. CISA has confirmed active exploitation in the wild by adding CVE-2022-3038 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a remediation deadline of April 20, 2023. The EPSS score of 36.0% (97th percentile) reflects the high exploitation probability, consistent with the availability of public exploit code and confirmed active attacks.
Remediation
- Update Google Chrome immediately to version 105.0.5195.52 or later. As directed by CISA, apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. The fix was released in the Chrome stable channel update on August 30, 2022.
- Update Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi, as they share the affected Network Service codebase. Verify that your browser version includes the fix for CVE-2022-3038.
- Enable Chrome's site isolation and ensure that the browser's built-in sandbox is active and not bypassed by enterprise policies, as the sandbox provides an additional defense layer against heap corruption exploits in the Network Service.
- Deploy browser-level network controls using enterprise group policies or endpoint management to block access to known malicious domains serving exploit pages, and monitor web proxy logs for unusual network request patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.
- Implement browser update enforcement policies across your organization to ensure Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers receive security updates automatically and promptly, preventing exposure windows for use-after-free vulnerabilities.
Technical Details
CVE-2022-3038 is a use-after-free vulnerability (CWE-416) in Google Chrome's Network Service, specifically in the URLLoader component's NotifyCompleted function. The flaw occurs when a network request completes and the associated memory is freed, but subsequent operations still reference the deallocated memory, leading to heap corruption. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) indicates that the vulnerability is exploitable remotely through a crafted HTML page with low complexity and no required privileges, though user interaction (visiting the malicious page) is necessary. The scope remains unchanged, meaning the impact is confined to the Chrome browser process, but with all three impact metrics at High, successful exploitation grants an attacker complete control over the browser's memory space, enabling arbitrary code execution within the renderer or network service process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2022-3038 being actively exploited?
Yes, CVE-2022-3038 is actively exploited in the wild. CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog with a remediation deadline of April 20, 2023. Public exploit code is available through Packet Storm Security and the Chromium bug tracker, and the EPSS score of 36.0% (97th percentile) confirms a very high exploitation probability.
What products are affected by CVE-2022-3038?
CVE-2022-3038 affects Google Chrome versions prior to 105.0.5195.52 and Fedora Linux distributions that package Chromium. All Chromium-based browsers that share the affected Network Service component may also be vulnerable if they have not incorporated the fix.
How do I fix CVE-2022-3038?
Update Google Chrome to version 105.0.5195.52 or later, which was released in the stable channel update on August 30, 2022. Also update any other Chromium-based browsers in your environment. Enable Chrome site isolation and sandbox features for additional protection.
How severe is CVE-2022-3038?
CVE-2022-3038 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.8 (High severity) and ranks in the 97th EPSS percentile, indicating very high exploitation probability. The combination of publicly available exploit code, confirmed active exploitation, and the potential for arbitrary code execution makes this a critical-priority vulnerability for immediate remediation.
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