CVE-2007-3341 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the FTP implementation in Microsoft Internet Explorer allows remote attackers to "see a valid memory address" via unspecified vectors, a different issue than CVE-2007-0217.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3341 represents a memory disclosure issue within Microsoft Internet Explorer's FTP implementation that emerged during a period when web browsers were increasingly becoming attack surfaces for sophisticated adversaries. This particular flaw falls under the category of information disclosure vulnerabilities where an attacker can potentially obtain sensitive memory addresses from the browser's memory space, though the specific vectors remain unspecified in the original description. The vulnerability is distinct from CVE-2007-0217, which indicates that Microsoft had already identified and addressed a different memory-related issue in their FTP implementation, suggesting that this vulnerability was a separate, albeit related, memory management flaw.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves the FTP protocol handling within Internet Explorer where the browser fails to properly validate or sanitize memory references during FTP operations. When Internet Explorer processes FTP connections and responses, it appears to expose valid memory addresses to remote attackers through unspecified vectors that likely involve malformed FTP responses or unexpected connection states. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning because memory address disclosure can provide attackers with critical information that helps in developing more sophisticated exploitation techniques. The exposure of memory addresses can aid in bypassing security mechanisms like address space layout randomization and stack canaries, which are fundamental protections against buffer overflow attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to users who engage with FTP services through Internet Explorer, particularly in enterprise environments where legacy systems may still rely on older browser versions. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple pathways could potentially trigger the memory disclosure, making it challenging for organizations to implement precise defensive measures. Attackers could leverage this information to craft more effective exploitation strategies against other vulnerabilities present in the same browser instance or to conduct advanced persistent threat operations that require precise memory layout information. The vulnerability essentially creates a reconnaissance opportunity that could be combined with other exploits to achieve privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution.
Organizations should prioritize updating Internet Explorer to the latest available versions that contain patches for this vulnerability, as Microsoft would have addressed the memory management issues in their subsequent releases. The remediation process should include comprehensive browser updates across all affected systems and potentially implementing network-level restrictions on FTP access where possible. Security teams should also monitor for any indicators of exploitation attempts that might involve memory address information obtained through this vulnerability, which aligns with the ATT&CK framework's reconnaissance phase where adversaries gather system information before launching more targeted attacks. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in web browser implementations, as outlined in CWE categories related to memory management and information disclosure. The incident underscores the need for continuous security assessment of browser components, particularly those handling network protocols, as these interfaces often become primary targets for attackers seeking to exploit memory-related vulnerabilities in client-side applications.