CVE-2014-1775 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 through 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-2014-0282, CVE-2014-1779, CVE-2014-1799, CVE-2014-1803, and CVE-2014-2757.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/01/2025
Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6 through 11 contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions through maliciously crafted web content. This vulnerability specifically affected the browser's handling of memory allocation and deallocation processes when processing certain web elements, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures and potentially gain unauthorized system access. The flaw manifested during normal browsing operations when Internet Explorer encountered specially crafted HTML or JavaScript content that triggered improper memory management behaviors, leading to buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions that could be exploited for code execution.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common software security weaknesses documented in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, particularly CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The vulnerability operates through memory corruption mechanisms that allow attackers to overwrite critical memory locations, potentially redirecting program execution flow to malicious code. This type of flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in memory safety controls that can be exploited using techniques such as return-oriented programming or direct code injection. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue places it within the broader category of software reliability problems that can be leveraged for privilege escalation and system compromise.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability created significant risk for organizations using affected Internet Explorer versions, as it could be exploited through simple web browsing activities without requiring user interaction beyond visiting malicious websites. The attack surface was extensive given Internet Explorer's widespread deployment across enterprise environments, making it a prime target for cybercriminals seeking to establish persistent access to networked systems. Security professionals noted that the vulnerability could be chained with other exploits to bypass modern security mitigations such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention controls, making it particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios. The vulnerability also affected both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems, amplifying its potential impact across diverse computing environments.
Organizations defending against this vulnerability needed to implement immediate remediation strategies including applying Microsoft security patches, deploying browser isolation techniques, and implementing network-based protections such as web application firewalls to block malicious content. The mitigation approach aligned with established cybersecurity frameworks including the ATT&CK matrix's technique T1203, which covers exploitation of remote services, and T1059, which addresses command and scripting interpreter usage. Security teams were advised to conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected Internet Explorer versions and prioritize patch deployment. Additionally, organizations implementing zero-trust security models found this vulnerability particularly relevant as it demonstrated the importance of validating all web content regardless of source, and highlighted the need for layered defensive controls including browser hardening configurations and user behavior monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts.