CVE-2014-4081 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-2014-2799, CVE-2014-4059, CVE-2014-4065, CVE-2014-4079, CVE-2014-4083, CVE-2014-4085, CVE-2014-4088, CVE-2014-4090, CVE-2014-4094, CVE-2014-4097, CVE-2014-4100, CVE-2014-4103, CVE-2014-4104, CVE-2014-4105, CVE-2014-4106, CVE-2014-4107, CVE-2014-4108, CVE-2014-4109, CVE-2014-4110, and CVE-2014-4111.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6 through 11, exposing users to potential remote code execution or denial of service attacks through maliciously crafted web content. The vulnerability falls under the category of heap-based buffer overflows and memory corruption issues that have been historically prevalent in browser implementations. Such flaws typically arise from insufficient input validation and memory management practices within the browser's rendering engine, specifically affecting how Internet Explorer processes certain web elements and JavaScript code. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects a wide range of Internet Explorer versions spanning nearly a decade, indicating a persistent flaw in the browser's architecture that was not adequately addressed across multiple releases. The attack vector involves a remote malicious website that, when loaded in Internet Explorer, triggers the memory corruption through specific web content manipulation techniques that exploit the browser's handling of certain data structures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within Internet Explorer's JavaScript engine and HTML parser components. Attackers can craft web pages containing malformed data structures, particularly involving object manipulation and memory allocation patterns that cause the browser to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. This memory corruption typically occurs when the browser attempts to process specially crafted JavaScript or HTML elements that trigger unexpected behavior in the memory management system. The flaw can be classified under CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, or CWE-122, stack-based buffer overflow, depending on the specific memory corruption pattern. When exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The memory corruption manifests as the browser's memory allocator being manipulated to overwrite adjacent memory regions, which can result in either code execution through controlled memory overwrite or system crash leading to denial of service conditions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant threat to enterprise environments where older versions of Internet Explorer remain in use, particularly in legacy systems or environments with limited patching capabilities. The broad version support means that organizations running Internet Explorer 6 through 11 are all potentially at risk, regardless of their patching status. Security analysts have noted that this vulnerability was frequently targeted in real-world attacks due to its reliability and the prevalence of affected browsers in corporate networks. The exploitation typically requires user interaction through visiting a malicious website, making social engineering attacks particularly effective in combination with this vulnerability. Organizations with insufficient security monitoring may not detect exploitation attempts until after compromise has occurred. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond individual user systems to entire network infrastructures, as successful exploitation can provide attackers with persistent access and lateral movement capabilities. The attack surface is broad due to the widespread use of Internet Explorer across different operating systems and the browser's integration with various enterprise applications and services.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability focus on immediate patching and operational security measures to reduce risk exposure. Microsoft released security updates addressing this vulnerability in their regular monthly security bulletins, and organizations should prioritize applying these patches across all affected Internet Explorer versions. For environments where patching is not immediately possible, security controls should include disabling JavaScript execution in Internet Explorer or implementing browser isolation techniques to prevent exploitation. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems can help detect and block malicious web content before it reaches vulnerable systems. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual memory allocation patterns and browser process behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing browser hardening techniques including disabling unnecessary browser features, restricting ActiveX controls, and employing sandboxing technologies to limit the impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework's persistence and privilege escalation tactics. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for unpatched Internet Explorer installations to ensure comprehensive protection against this and similar memory corruption vulnerabilities.