On Friday, Google issued an urgent out-of-band security update to address a newly discovered zero-day vulnerability affecting its Chrome web browser. This flaw, designated as CVE-2022-4262, is a type confusion bug in the V8 JavaScript engine that has already been leveraged in active exploitation.
Discovered and reported by Clement Lecigne from Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) on November 29, 2022, this high-severity flaw poses significant risks. Type confusion vulnerabilities can allow threat actors to execute arbitrary code and possibly trigger a crash through out-of-bounds memory access, making this a critical concern for users.
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) National Vulnerability Database, the exploit can enable remote attackers to corrupt the heap using specially crafted HTML pages. This vulnerability may compromise sensitive data and control over affected systems, particularly for users in business environments.
Google has acknowledged the active exploitation of CVE-2022-4262 but has refrained from disclosing further specifics that could enable malicious actors to exploit the flaw more widely. This marks the fourth type confusion vulnerability that Google has addressed this year alone, making it evident that such flaws continue to present a significant risk within the Chrome ecosystem.
Resetting the scene, CVE-2022-4262 is one of nine zero-day vulnerabilities that have been exploited in the wild this year, further highlighting the urgent need for users to stay vigilant. Previous vulnerabilities in this category include CVE-2022-0609 and CVE-2022-1096, both of which similarly addressed critical concerns in the V8 engine.
Businesses using Chrome are urged to swiftly upgrade to versions 108.0.5359.94 for macOS and Linux, and 108.0.5359.94/.95 for Windows to mitigate potential threats. Furthermore, users of Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi should also seek to apply updates as they become available, to protect against this zero-day vulnerability.
This vulnerability reflects a pattern seen in various cyber incidents where initial access and privilege escalation tactics from the MITRE ATT&CK framework may have been utilized. Specifically, attackers could harness techniques for exploitation, ultimately leading to unauthorized control over victims’ systems.
As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, it is vital for business owners to prioritize cybersecurity measures and stay informed of such vulnerabilities to safeguard sensitive information and system integrity.