CVE-2015-1658 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-2015-1706, CVE-2015-1711, CVE-2015-1717, and CVE-2015-1718.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/11/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw in Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 that enables remote code execution through malicious web content. The issue stems from improper handling of memory operations within the browser's rendering engine, specifically affecting how Internet Explorer processes certain web elements. Attackers can craft malicious websites that trigger buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions when the browser attempts to render specific content, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution on the victim's system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through standard web browsing activities without requiring any additional user interaction beyond visiting a compromised website. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-125 vulnerability category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for legitimate program execution. The memory corruption occurs during the parsing and rendering of web content, making it difficult to detect through traditional security measures and allowing attackers to bypass many standard defensive mechanisms. The vulnerability affects the browser's JavaScript engine and object model handling, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory addresses and execute malicious payloads. The impact extends beyond simple code execution to include potential privilege escalation and system compromise, as successful exploitation can allow attackers to gain full control over the affected system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves sophisticated memory manipulation techniques that exploit specific patterns in how Internet Explorer handles object references and memory allocation. When processing crafted web content, the browser's memory management system fails to properly validate input data, leading to corruption of critical memory segments. This type of vulnerability is classified as a heap-based buffer overflow under CWE-122, where attackers can manipulate heap memory structures to redirect program execution flow. The exploit typically requires careful crafting of malicious JavaScript or HTML content that triggers specific memory allocation patterns, causing the browser to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. Security researchers have identified that the vulnerability manifests when Internet Explorer attempts to process certain combinations of DOM elements, CSS properties, and JavaScript objects that create predictable memory corruption scenarios. The attack surface is particularly large since the vulnerability can be triggered through various web page elements including embedded objects, dynamic content generation, and complex styling rules that interact with the browser's internal memory management systems. This makes the vulnerability extremely difficult to prevent through traditional sandboxing approaches, as the corruption occurs within the browser's legitimate execution environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond individual system compromise, creating significant risks for enterprise environments and organizations with widespread Internet Explorer usage. Organizations running Internet Explorer 11 are particularly vulnerable to targeted attacks that leverage this memory corruption flaw, as it requires minimal user interaction to exploit successfully. The vulnerability can be weaponized through drive-by download attacks, where visiting a compromised website automatically delivers and executes malicious payloads without user consent. Security professionals have documented cases where this vulnerability was used in advanced persistent threat campaigns, where attackers established persistent access to compromised systems through the exploitation of memory corruption flaws. The vulnerability's ability to cause denial of service in addition to remote code execution makes it particularly attractive to attackers seeking to disrupt operations or maintain long-term access to target systems. Organizations with legacy Internet Explorer deployments face increased risk due to the limited security updates available for older browser versions. The vulnerability also impacts mobile and tablet environments where Internet Explorer is used as a default browser, creating additional attack vectors for mobile device compromise. Incident response teams have noted that this vulnerability often goes undetected for extended periods, as the memory corruption patterns can be subtle and may not immediately manifest as system instability or crashes.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require comprehensive security measures that address both immediate protection and long-term remediation. Microsoft released security updates that patched the memory corruption flaw through improved input validation and memory management within Internet Explorer's rendering engine. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of available security patches and consider implementing browser hardening techniques such as disabling unnecessary browser features and restricting access to potentially malicious websites. Network-based defenses including web application firewalls and content filtering systems can help detect and block malicious web content before it reaches vulnerable systems. Security teams should implement monitoring solutions that detect unusual memory access patterns or browser behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser security and implementing multi-layered defense strategies. Organizations should consider migrating away from Internet Explorer to more modern browsers with better security track records and active support for security updates. Regular security assessments and penetration testing can help identify systems that may still be vulnerable to this and similar memory corruption flaws. Additionally, implementing security awareness training for users can help reduce the risk of successful exploitation through social engineering attacks that leverage this vulnerability. The incident also underscores the necessity of maintaining current security intelligence feeds and vulnerability management processes to quickly identify and respond to emerging threats targeting browser components and memory management systems.