Vulnerability details
| CVE | CVSS | EPSS | KEV | PoC | PRS risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2022-38028 | 7.8 | 14.9% | ✅ listed | available | 76.83 (High) |
Pass the Passkey: A New Attack Class Against Google's Synced Passkeys
Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 has disclosed a new attack class it calls “Pass the Passkey,” targeting the synchronized passkey ecosystem in Google Chrome. The technique allows malware to authenticate as the user, bypass the interactive verification step, and extract all synced passkey private keys from the browser profile.
The attack is a third entry in Unit 42’s passkey research series, following “The Art of the Invisible Key” and “Google Authenticator: The Hidden Mechanisms of Passwordless Authentication.” It represents a novel attack surface in passwordless authentication, where the attacker does not need to intercept the WebAuthn ceremony but instead operates from a resident process that reads the keys directly from Chrome’s sync store.
Palo Alto Networks customers are protected through Cortex Cloud Identity Security, Idira Threat Detection and Response, Idira Endpoint Privilege Manager, and Idira Privilege. The vendor has shared the findings with Cyber Threat Alliance members for rapid deployment and disruption.
How the Attack Works
The malware authenticates against Google’s passkey sync endpoint to retrieve the user’s synchronized passkey set. It then bypasses the interactive user verification step—such as WebAuthn’s userVerification prompt—to extract the private keys directly from the browser profile. All synced passkey private keys are exfiltrated, enabling full offline authentication as the user without any further interaction.
Who Is Exposed
The attack targets the primary passkey sync clients in the Google ecosystem: Chrome, Cloud Authenticator, and the passkey sync backend. Unit 42 describes the technique as a resident process that reads the private keys directly from Chrome’s sync store, rather than intercepting the WebAuthn ceremony.
Victims span AI/LLM, E-commerce, Technology, airlines, government, and universities. The affected products are Cloud Authenticator, Chrome, and the passkey sync backend, which together form the synchronized passkey stack that stores and syncs the user’s private keys.
Palo Alto Networks Protections
Palo Alto Networks customers receive protections through Cortex Cloud Identity Security, Idira Threat Detection and Response, Idira Endpoint Privilege Manager, and Idira Privilege Manager. The vendor has shared the findings with Cyber Threat Alliance members, who use the intelligence to deploy protections to their customers and disrupt the malicious actor.
Key points
- New 'Pass the Passkey' attack class targets Google's synced passkey ecosystem, allowing malware to authenticate, bypass user verification, and extract all synced passkey private keys.
- CVE-2022-38028 (Windows Print Spooler EoP) is rated CVSS 7.8, EPSS 14.9% (96th percentile), and is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog with a public PoC.
- Palo Alto Networks customers are protected via Cortex Cloud Identity Security, Idira Threat Detection and Response, Idira Endpoint Privilege Manager, and Idira Privilege Manager.
- Findings are shared with Cyber Threat Alliance (CTA) members for rapid protection deployment and systematic disruption of malicious actors.
- This is part of a three-part series: Part 1 covers the passkey global breakthrough, Part 2 covers Google Authenticator's hidden mechanisms, and this post covers the Pass the Passkey attack.
Further reading & sources
- Pass the Passkey: A Novel Attack Surface in Passwordless Authentication — PaloAlto Networks Unit 42
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- APT28 (Threat Actor)
- The Escalating Cyber Risk Landscape in Regional Conflicts & Strategic Actions for 2026
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- The AI Arms Race: How Adversaries are Weaponizing AI for Speed and Scale
- Threat Brief: Mitigating Large-Scale Credential Attacks (Updated August 18)
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- Palo Alto Networks - Wikipedia