CVE-2010-1118 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Internet Explorer 8 on Microsoft Windows 7 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors, possibly related to a use-after-free issue, as demonstrated by Peter Vreugdenhil during a Pwn2Own competition at CanSecWest 2010.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1118 represents a critical security flaw in Internet Explorer 8 running on Microsoft Windows 7 systems. This vulnerability was particularly significant because it was demonstrated at the prestigious Pwn2Own competition, indicating that attackers could potentially exploit this weakness to gain remote code execution capabilities. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability initially made it challenging for security professionals to fully understand the attack surface, though subsequent analysis revealed connections to use-after-free conditions that are particularly dangerous in web browser environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability appears to stem from a use-after-free condition within Internet Explorer 8's memory management mechanisms. When processing certain web content, the browser would allocate memory for objects and subsequently free that memory while still maintaining references to it. Attackers could manipulate this process by crafting malicious web pages that would trigger the browser to access freed memory locations, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential code execution. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions that occur when a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-1118 is severe and far-reaching, particularly given that Internet Explorer 8 was widely deployed across enterprise environments and personal computers during the Windows 7 era. Successful exploitation would allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the logged-in user, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's demonstration at a security competition highlighted its practical exploitability and underscored the need for immediate remediation efforts. Organizations running Windows 7 systems with IE8 were particularly vulnerable, as the attack could be delivered through standard web browsing activities without requiring any special user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
Microsoft addressed this vulnerability through their regular security update cycle, releasing a patch that corrected the memory management issues within Internet Explorer 8. However, the incident highlighted the broader challenges of securing complex web browsers and the importance of continuous security assessment. The vulnerability also demonstrated the effectiveness of security competitions like Pwn2Own in identifying critical flaws before they could be exploited by malicious actors. Organizations should have implemented additional security measures including browser isolation, network segmentation, and regular patch management to mitigate the risk associated with this and similar vulnerabilities. The incident contributed to the evolution of browser security practices and reinforced the need for comprehensive vulnerability management programs that address both known and emerging threats in the cybersecurity landscape.