CVE-2014-6337 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."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2022
Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 and 11 contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service when users visited malicious websites. This vulnerability stemmed from improper handling of memory operations within the browser's rendering engine, specifically affecting how Internet Explorer processed certain web content structures. The flaw allowed attackers to manipulate memory addresses and execute malicious code with the privileges of the logged-in user, making it particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios. The vulnerability was classified as a heap-based buffer overflow, where malicious input caused the application to write beyond allocated memory boundaries, potentially leading to code execution or system instability. This issue represented a significant security risk for enterprise environments where Internet Explorer remained the primary browser, as it could be exploited through simple web navigation without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a compromised site. The vulnerability affected Windows operating systems including Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012, with the attack surface expanding to include both desktop and server deployments. According to the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, this vulnerability mapped to CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, which is categorized under the broader category of memory safety issues. The attack pattern aligned with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's technique T1203, "Exploitation for Client Execution," where adversaries leverage software vulnerabilities to execute malicious code on target systems. The memory corruption occurred during the processing of specific HTML elements or JavaScript constructs, where the browser's memory management failed to properly validate input data before allocation. This allowed attackers to craft malicious web pages that would trigger the vulnerability when rendered by the browser, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The exploitability of this vulnerability was enhanced by the fact that it required no user interaction beyond visiting the malicious website, making it particularly effective for drive-by download attacks. Security researchers noted that the vulnerability was particularly concerning due to its ability to bypass modern security mitigations such as Data Execution Prevention and Address Space Layout Randomization, which were designed to prevent similar memory corruption exploits. Organizations deploying Internet Explorer 10 and 11 needed to implement immediate patch management procedures to address this vulnerability, as the window for exploitation remained open until Microsoft released security updates. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser security patches and implementing network-based protections such as web application firewalls to prevent exploitation attempts. Microsoft addressed this vulnerability through security updates that corrected the memory handling procedures in the browser's rendering engine, specifically targeting the improper memory allocation and deallocation processes that enabled the exploitation. The remediation efforts emphasized the need for comprehensive browser security management and the importance of reducing attack surfaces by disabling unnecessary browser features that could be leveraged by attackers. Organizations were advised to conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected Internet Explorer versions and prioritize patch deployment to mitigate the risk of exploitation. This vulnerability demonstrated the ongoing challenges in securing complex web browsers and the critical importance of continuous security monitoring and patch management processes. The incident underscored the necessity of maintaining current security practices and the potential consequences of running outdated browser software in enterprise environments.