CVE-2011-1250 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 through 9 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, aka "Link Properties Handling Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1250 represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6 through 9. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of objects in memory during the processing of link properties, creating a condition where attackers can manipulate memory states to execute arbitrary code remotely. The flaw specifically manifests when Internet Explorer encounters objects that either failed to initialize properly or were already deleted from memory, leading to unpredictable memory access patterns that can be exploited by malicious actors.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates as a classic use-after-free or uninitialized memory access condition, which falls under CWE-476 - NULL Pointer Dereference and CWE-125 - Out-of-bounds Read. The memory corruption occurs during the processing of link properties within the browser's rendering engine, where the application fails to properly validate object states before accessing them. When an object is accessed after being freed or before proper initialization, the memory contents may contain unpredictable data or point to invalid memory locations, enabling attackers to manipulate the execution flow of the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it allows remote code execution without user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in web-based attack scenarios. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that, when loaded in affected Internet Explorer versions, trigger the memory corruption condition and execute malicious payloads with the privileges of the logged-in user. This vulnerability was classified as a remote code execution vulnerability under the MITRE ATT&CK framework in the T1059.007 technique category, specifically targeting the execution of malicious code through web browser exploitation. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Windows operating systems including Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, making it a significant concern for enterprise environments.
The exploitation of this vulnerability typically involves constructing a malicious web page that triggers the specific memory handling flaw in Internet Explorer's link properties processing. Attackers leverage the browser's memory management weaknesses to overwrite critical memory locations or redirect execution flow to malicious code. This type of vulnerability is particularly challenging to defend against as it requires patching the browser itself rather than relying on network-level defenses. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including browser updates, security patches, and browser isolation techniques. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper memory management practices in browser development and underscores the need for comprehensive security testing of memory handling routines in web applications and browser engines.