CVE-2010-3346 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 7, and 8 does not properly handle objects in memory, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by accessing an object that (1) was not properly initialized or (2) is deleted, leading to memory corruption, aka "HTML Element Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3346 represents a critical memory corruption flaw in Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6, 7, and 8 that stems from improper handling of objects in memory. This issue falls under the broader category of memory safety vulnerabilities and specifically aligns with CWE-119, which addresses improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer. The vulnerability manifests when Internet Explorer processes HTML elements that have not been properly initialized or have already been deleted from memory, creating conditions where attackers can manipulate memory contents to execute arbitrary code.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a classic use-after-free or double-free memory corruption pattern where the browser attempts to access memory locations that either contain uninitialized data or have already been freed and deallocated. When Internet Explorer encounters such malformed HTML content or maliciously crafted web pages, the browser's memory management system fails to properly validate object states before accessing them. This flaw enables attackers to craft specifically designed web pages that force the browser into accessing invalid memory locations, potentially allowing for code execution with the privileges of the logged-in user. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within the browser's rendering engine, which processes untrusted web content from various sources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to encompass full system compromise capabilities. Attackers can leverage this memory corruption flaw to bypass security restrictions, escalate privileges, and potentially gain persistent access to affected systems. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Windows operating systems that include these Internet Explorer versions, making it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking broad exploitation coverage. The remote nature of the attack vector means that victims can be compromised simply by visiting malicious websites or viewing infected email attachments containing web content. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and script interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, demonstrating how memory corruption can serve as a foundational attack primitive for more sophisticated compromise techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-3346 primarily focus on immediate patching and browser security hardening measures. Microsoft released security updates that addressed the memory handling issues in Internet Explorer, though organizations should also implement additional protective measures such as disabling Active Scripting, implementing enhanced browser security policies, and deploying web application firewalls to filter malicious content. The vulnerability underscores the importance of keeping browser software updated and implementing defense-in-depth strategies including browser sandboxing, restricted user privileges, and regular security assessments. Organizations should also consider migrating away from unsupported browser versions and implementing content security policies to limit the impact of similar vulnerabilities that may arise in the future.