CVE-2014-4056 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 through 10 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."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/17/2024
Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 7 through 10 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 stems from improper handling of memory operations within the browser's rendering engine, specifically affecting how Internet Explorer processes certain HTML elements and JavaScript objects. The flaw manifests when the browser encounters specially crafted web pages that trigger buffer overflows or heap corruption during normal browsing operations, allowing attackers to manipulate memory addresses and execute malicious code with the privileges of the logged-in user.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves memory corruption patterns that align with common software security flaws categorized under CWE-125 as "Out-of-bounds Read" and CWE-787 as "Out-of-bounds Write." Attackers could construct web pages containing malformed data structures that, when rendered by the affected Internet Explorer versions, would cause the browser to write beyond allocated memory boundaries or read from invalid memory locations. This type of vulnerability typically occurs in complex software systems where memory management is critical, particularly in browsers that must process untrusted input from multiple sources simultaneously. The exploitation mechanism often leverages the browser's JavaScript engine to manipulate memory layout and eventually achieve code execution through techniques such as return-oriented programming or direct memory manipulation.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4056 was significant across enterprise environments, as Internet Explorer remained the default browser for many organizations and users. Organizations running affected versions faced potential compromise of user systems through drive-by download attacks, where simply visiting a malicious website would trigger the exploit without user interaction. The vulnerability's presence in widely used browser versions meant that attackers could leverage it against large user bases with minimal targeting requirements. Additionally, the memory corruption nature of the flaw meant that successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access to affected systems. The vulnerability also contributed to broader security incidents as it could be chained with other exploits to bypass security controls and escalate privileges within the target environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of affected Internet Explorer versions, as Microsoft released security updates to address the memory corruption issues. Organizations should have implemented browser hardening measures including disabling unnecessary browser features, implementing content security policies, and deploying application whitelisting solutions to prevent execution of unauthorized code. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing multi-layered security approaches that include network monitoring, endpoint protection, and user education. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability corresponds to techniques such as T1203 "Exploitation for Client Execution" and T1059 "Command and Scripting Interpreter" where attackers could leverage the browser exploit to execute malicious payloads and establish persistent access to target systems. Security teams needed to prioritize this vulnerability in their risk assessment and remediation processes, recognizing that it represented a critical threat vector that could be exploited without user awareness or interaction.