CVE-2014-1772 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 and 11 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," a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-1780, CVE-2014-1794, CVE-2014-1797, CVE-2014-1802, CVE-2014-2756, CVE-2014-2763, CVE-2014-2764, CVE-2014-2769, and CVE-2014-2771.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2025
Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 and 11 suffered from a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution through maliciously crafted web content. This vulnerability specifically affected the browser's handling of memory structures during web page rendering processes, creating a pathway for attackers to inject and execute arbitrary code on targeted systems. The flaw existed in the browser's JavaScript engine and memory management systems, allowing adversaries to manipulate heap memory through carefully constructed web pages that would trigger undefined behavior when processed by the vulnerable browser versions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involved exploiting memory corruption patterns that occurred when Internet Explorer processed certain JavaScript objects and DOM elements. Attackers could craft web pages containing malicious JavaScript code that would cause the browser to allocate memory in unexpected ways, leading to buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions. These memory corruption issues typically manifested when the browser encountered specific combinations of object properties, array manipulations, or DOM traversal operations that exceeded allocated memory boundaries. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it could be triggered through normal web browsing activities without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a compromised website.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-1772 was severe and widespread given the prevalence of Internet Explorer 10 and 11 across enterprise environments and consumer systems. Organizations running these browser versions faced significant risk of compromise, as the vulnerability could be exploited through drive-by downloads, malicious advertisements, or compromised websites that users might visit innocently. The memory corruption nature of the flaw meant that successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the logged-in user. This made the vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to establish persistent access to corporate networks or to deploy additional malware payloads.
Security researchers classified this vulnerability under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. The vulnerability aligned with ATT&CK techniques such as T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution, and T1059, Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it enabled attackers to execute malicious code through the browser interface. Microsoft addressed this issue through regular security updates, requiring users to apply patches promptly to mitigate the risk. Organizations should have implemented browser hardening measures, including disabling unnecessary browser features, implementing security policies, and deploying network-based protections such as web application firewalls to detect and block malicious content targeting this specific vulnerability. The incident highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser security patches and demonstrated how memory corruption vulnerabilities in widely used software could create significant security risks across diverse computing environments.