CVE-2013-3147 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 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."
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-3147 represents a critical memory corruption flaw in Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6 through 9 that enables remote code execution and denial of service attacks. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory operations within the browser's rendering engine, specifically affecting how Internet Explorer processes certain web content that triggers heap corruption conditions. The flaw manifests when a malicious website crafts specific HTML or JavaScript elements that exploit memory management weaknesses in the browser's memory allocation and deallocation processes, creating opportunities for attackers to inject and execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves memory corruption patterns that align with common software security weaknesses categorized under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability by hosting malicious web content that, when loaded in a vulnerable Internet Explorer instance, triggers memory corruption through improper object handling or buffer overflow conditions. The memory corruption typically occurs during the parsing and rendering of complex web elements, particularly those involving dynamic content manipulation, object instantiation, or script execution that bypasses normal memory protection mechanisms.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations using older Internet Explorer versions as it allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to affected systems without requiring any local privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The attack surface is particularly broad since Internet Explorer 6 through 9 were widely deployed across enterprise environments, making the impact of this vulnerability substantial. The memory corruption can result in system crashes, application instability, or more critically, provide attackers with code execution capabilities that could lead to full system compromise through privilege escalation or lateral movement within network environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-3147 primarily focus on immediate remediation through patch application, as Microsoft released security updates addressing this specific vulnerability through their regular security bulletin process. Organizations should prioritize updating to supported Internet Explorer versions or implementing browser isolation techniques such as Microsoft's Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit or Application Control policies to prevent exploitation. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls, deploying content filtering solutions, and utilizing security awareness training to reduce the likelihood of users visiting malicious websites. The vulnerability also relates to ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers legitimate credentials and T1059, covering command and script interpreters, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to execute malicious commands and establish persistence within compromised environments.