CVE-2014-2760 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 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-2014-1769, CVE-2014-1782, CVE-2014-1785, CVE-2014-2753, CVE-2014-2755, CVE-2014-2761, CVE-2014-2772, and CVE-2014-2776.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2025
Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions through specially crafted web content. This vulnerability represented a significant security flaw in the browser's handling of memory operations during web page rendering and script execution processes. The flaw specifically manifested when Internet Explorer processed malformed or malicious web content that triggered improper memory management behaviors, leading to unpredictable system states that could be exploited for malicious purposes.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stemmed from inadequate input validation and memory handling mechanisms within Internet Explorer's rendering engine. Attackers could craft web pages containing malicious JavaScript or HTML elements that would cause the browser to allocate, access, or free memory in unintended ways. This memory corruption occurred during the processing of web content, particularly when handling complex DOM structures or executing certain JavaScript operations that pushed the browser's memory management beyond its normal operational boundaries. The vulnerability was classified as a memory corruption flaw, which typically allows attackers to manipulate memory addresses and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the running browser process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was severe and far-reaching across enterprise and individual computing environments. Successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to execute malicious code with the same privileges as the user running Internet Explorer. This meant that if an attacker successfully exploited the vulnerability through a phishing email or malicious website, they could gain full control over the victim's system, potentially leading to data theft, system infiltration, or further lateral movement within network environments. The vulnerability affected Windows operating systems that included Internet Explorer 11, creating a broad attack surface that could be leveraged across various organizational infrastructures.
Organizations and security professionals needed to implement immediate mitigations to protect against this vulnerability. Microsoft released a security update as part of their regular patching cycle to address the memory corruption issue, which should have been deployed immediately across all affected systems. Additional mitigations included implementing browser security features such as enhanced protection modes, disabling unnecessary browser components, and employing network-level protections such as web application firewalls. The vulnerability aligned with several attack patterns documented in the attack mitigation framework, particularly those involving privilege escalation and code execution through browser-based attacks. Security practitioners should have also considered implementing network segmentation and user access controls to limit potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlighted the importance of keeping browser software updated and demonstrated how memory corruption flaws could be weaponized to achieve full system compromise.