CVE-2008-2258 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01, 6, and 7 accesses uninitialized memory in certain conditions, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and execute arbitrary code via vectors related to a document object "appended in a specific order" with "particular functions ... performed on" document objects, aka "HTML Objects Memory Corruption Vulnerability" or "Table Layout Memory Corruption Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2008-2257.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/16/2021
This vulnerability affects Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 5.01, 6, and 7, representing a critical memory corruption flaw that can be exploited remotely to achieve both denial of service and arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability stems from how Internet Explorer handles document object manipulation when specific sequences of operations are performed on HTML objects, particularly in table layout scenarios. The flaw occurs when the browser accesses uninitialized memory locations during document object processing, creating a predictable pattern that attackers can exploit through carefully crafted web content.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the improper handling of memory allocation and initialization within Internet Explorer's rendering engine. When certain HTML document objects are appended in specific orders and particular functions are performed on these objects, the browser fails to properly initialize memory regions before accessing them. This uninitialized memory access creates a condition where attackers can manipulate the memory layout to redirect execution flow or inject malicious code. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-125 as "Uninitialized Memory Read" and represents a classic heap-based memory corruption issue that has been a persistent problem in web browser implementations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to enterprise environments where Internet Explorer remains in use, particularly in legacy systems that have not been upgraded. The remote exploit capability means that attackers can compromise systems simply by having users visit malicious websites or view compromised web content. The combination of denial of service and arbitrary code execution capabilities makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be used to establish persistent access to target systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's relationship to table layout processing makes it particularly insidious as HTML tables are commonly used across the web, increasing the attack surface.
The attack vector specifically targets the document object model processing within Internet Explorer's JavaScript engine and HTML parser, where the browser's handling of dynamically created and modified document objects creates memory corruption conditions. Security researchers have documented that this vulnerability can be triggered through various combinations of DOM manipulation methods and HTML element creation patterns, making it difficult to defend against through simple input validation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including browser upgrades to supported versions, deployment of security patches, and network-level protections such as web application firewalls. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1203 "Exploitation for Client Execution" highlights its potential for client-side exploitation and underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser security patches. Additionally, implementing content security policies and disabling unnecessary browser features can help reduce the risk of exploitation, though the most effective mitigation remains upgrading to supported browser versions that have addressed this memory corruption vulnerability.