CVE-2013-3116 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 through 9 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted web site, aka "Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2021
Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 7 through 9 contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks through maliciously crafted web content. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation during web page rendering processes, creating exploitable conditions that adversaries could leverage to inject and execute malicious code on targeted systems. The flaw exists in the browser's handling of specific HTML elements and JavaScript constructs that trigger memory management errors when processed by the affected IE versions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves heap-based memory corruption that occurs when Internet Explorer processes malformed web content containing specially crafted objects or arrays. Attackers can construct web pages that, when loaded in the vulnerable browsers, cause the memory management subsystem to allocate or deallocate memory blocks incorrectly, leading to buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions. These memory corruption scenarios create opportunities for arbitrary code execution by overwriting critical memory locations or redirecting program execution flow. The vulnerability specifically affects the browser's scripting engine and rendering components, particularly when handling complex object hierarchies and dynamic content manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution to encompass significant security risks for enterprise environments and individual users. Organizations running affected IE versions face potential compromise of user systems through drive-by download attacks, where visiting malicious websites automatically triggers the exploit without user interaction. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple IE versions means that organizations needed to implement immediate mitigations or browser upgrades to protect their infrastructure. Users operating in high-risk environments such as financial institutions or government agencies faced particular exposure due to the ease of exploitation and the broad attack surface provided by web browsing activities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patch application from Microsoft as part of their regular security updates, with the release of patches specifically addressing the memory corruption issues in IE versions 7 through 9. Organizations should have implemented browser isolation techniques, including the use of modern browsers that do not contain these vulnerabilities, and deployed security controls such as enhanced browser security settings and content filtering solutions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and represents a common attack vector categorized under ATT&CK technique T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution. Security teams needed to monitor for indicators of compromise related to exploitation attempts and implement network-based protections to prevent access to known malicious domains. This vulnerability demonstrated the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date browser security patches and highlighted the risks associated with legacy browser support in enterprise security postures.