CVE-2002-1984 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0.1 through 6.0 on Windows 2000 or Windows XP allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via an OBJECT tag that contains a crafted CLASSID (CLSID) value of "CLSID:00022613-0000-0000-C000-000000000046".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-1984 represents a classic stack-based buffer overflow flaw in Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 5.0.1 through 6.0 running on Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating systems. This issue stems from improper validation of the CLASSID parameter within HTML OBJECT tags, specifically when the CLSID value "CLSID:00022613-0000-0000-C000-000000000046" is processed. The vulnerability resides in the browser's handling of ActiveX controls and component object model interactions, where the malformed CLASSID value triggers an exploitable condition that can lead to application instability.
The technical execution of this vulnerability occurs when Internet Explorer encounters an OBJECT tag with the specified CLSID value during page rendering. The browser's parsing mechanism fails to properly validate the length and structure of the CLASSID parameter, allowing an attacker to craft malicious HTML content that overflows the allocated memory buffer. This buffer overflow condition typically results in the browser process crashing and terminating unexpectedly, effectively causing a denial of service condition. The specific CLSID value corresponds to a known ActiveX control that when improperly handled can trigger memory corruption, making it a well-documented exploitation vector for remote attackers seeking to disrupt web browsing sessions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise environments where Internet Explorer remains the primary browser for business operations. The denial of service condition can be exploited by attackers to disrupt legitimate user access to web applications and services, potentially causing productivity losses and service interruptions. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Windows operating systems including Windows 2000 and Windows XP, which were prevalent in enterprise environments during the early 2000s, making this a particularly concerning issue for organizations with legacy systems. The remote nature of the attack means that users can be compromised simply by visiting malicious websites or viewing crafted email content containing the vulnerable HTML elements.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which describes the condition where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond the allocated stack buffer space. The attack pattern follows typical remote code execution methodologies described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution tactic, where adversaries leverage browser vulnerabilities to execute malicious code or cause system instability. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including browser updates, network-based filtering to block malicious HTML content, and user education about avoiding suspicious web content. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in web browser development, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing and code review processes to prevent similar issues in future software releases.