CVE-2014-4088 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-2014-4081, CVE-2014-4083, CVE-2014-4085, 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
The CVE-2014-4088 vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw in Microsoft Internet Explorer spanning versions 6 through 11, demonstrating the persistent security challenges associated with legacy browser software. This vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or induce denial of service conditions when users visit malicious websites, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where older IE versions remain in use. The flaw operates through crafted web content that triggers memory corruption during browser processing, creating potential entry points for sophisticated attack campaigns that exploit the extended attack surface of Internet Explorer's rendering engine.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within Internet Explorer's JavaScript engine and rendering components, specifically affecting how the browser processes certain web elements and objects in memory. Attackers can leverage this flaw by constructing malicious web pages that contain specially crafted code or data structures designed to trigger buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory corruption scenarios. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common weakness enumeration CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are fundamental memory safety issues that have plagued software development for decades. These memory corruption vulnerabilities are particularly attractive to threat actors because they can be exploited to gain complete system control without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious site.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4088 extends beyond simple exploitation capabilities, as it represents a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged in advanced persistent threat campaigns and zero-day attacks. Organizations running older Internet Explorer versions face significant risk exposure since these browsers lack modern security mitigations such as address space layout randomization, data execution prevention, and exploit protection mechanisms that are standard in more recent software versions. The vulnerability's relationship to the broader CVE-2014-40xx series demonstrates Microsoft's acknowledgment of systematic weaknesses in their browser implementation, with each vulnerability in this group representing different attack vectors targeting the same underlying memory management flaws. Security professionals must understand that exploitation of such vulnerabilities often follows the ATT&CK framework's technique T1203, which involves exploitation for privilege escalation through memory corruption, and T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-4088 require comprehensive remediation approaches that address both immediate protection needs and long-term security posture improvements. Organizations should prioritize immediate patch deployment through Microsoft's security updates, as the vulnerability was addressed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS14-040. However, given the extended support lifecycle for older IE versions, alternative mitigations include implementing strict browser security policies, disabling unnecessary browser features, and deploying application whitelisting solutions to prevent exploitation attempts. Network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems can provide additional layers of defense, while user education regarding safe browsing practices remains essential. The vulnerability's characteristics align with the principle of defense in depth, as multiple control mechanisms are required to effectively protect against memory corruption exploits, particularly in environments where complete browser replacement is not immediately feasible. Organizations should also consider implementing vulnerability management processes that regularly assess and remediate similar issues across their technology stack, as memory corruption vulnerabilities often indicate broader architectural security weaknesses that require systematic addressing rather than isolated patching approaches.