CVE-2014-1802 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-2014-1772, CVE-2014-1780, CVE-2014-1794, CVE-2014-1797, 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 • 08/31/2025
Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 and 11 suffered from a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks through malicious web content. This vulnerability specifically affected the browser's handling of memory allocation and management during web page rendering processes, creating exploitable conditions that adversaries could leverage to gain unauthorized system access. The flaw manifested when Internet Explorer encountered specially crafted web content that triggered improper memory handling, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential system compromise. The vulnerability was distinct from several other related issues including CVE-2014-1772, CVE-2014-1780, CVE-2014-1794, CVE-2014-1797, CVE-2014-2756, CVE-2014-2763, CVE-2014-2764, CVE-2014-2769, and CVE-2014-2771, each representing separate memory corruption flaws in the same browser family. The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. From an operational perspective, this flaw represented a severe threat to enterprise environments where Internet Explorer remained the primary browser for legacy applications, as attackers could exploit the vulnerability through simple web page visits without requiring user interaction beyond navigating to malicious sites. The attack surface was particularly broad given Internet Explorer's widespread deployment in corporate networks and the browser's integration with various enterprise applications and services. This vulnerability was categorized under the ATT&CK framework as part of the T1203 technique for Exploitation for Client Execution, demonstrating how attackers could leverage browser vulnerabilities to execute malicious code on target systems. The memory corruption aspect of the flaw meant that successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to install malware, access sensitive data, or maintain persistent access to affected systems. Organizations running vulnerable versions of Internet Explorer faced significant risk as the exploit required no special privileges or complex attack chains, making it particularly dangerous for widespread deployment. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of regular security updates and the risks associated with supporting legacy browser versions in enterprise environments. Security researchers identified that the flaw occurred during the processing of specific web elements, particularly those involving dynamic content generation and memory management operations that were not properly validated. The impact extended beyond simple denial of service to include potential privilege escalation and system-wide compromise, making it a critical concern for cybersecurity professionals responsible for protecting enterprise infrastructure.
The vulnerability's exploitation typically occurred through social engineering campaigns where users were directed to malicious websites containing specially crafted HTML and JavaScript code designed to trigger the memory corruption. Attackers could leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the logged-in user, potentially leading to full system compromise. The memory corruption aspect made the vulnerability particularly challenging to detect and prevent, as the exploitation could occur silently without obvious signs of compromise. Microsoft's response included releasing security patches that addressed the underlying memory management issues within Internet Explorer's rendering engine, requiring immediate deployment across affected systems. Organizations needed to implement comprehensive patch management strategies to protect against this vulnerability, as the window of exposure was significant given the browser's prevalence in enterprise environments. The flaw demonstrated the critical importance of maintaining current security patches and the risks associated with delaying software updates in corporate environments. From a defensive standpoint, network administrators needed to implement additional monitoring and detection capabilities to identify potential exploitation attempts, as traditional signature-based detection methods might not effectively identify all variants of this memory corruption attack. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw placed it within the highest severity categories, emphasizing the need for immediate remediation and the implementation of additional security controls to protect against similar future exploits.