CVE-2015-1709 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 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."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1709 represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 7 through 11. This vulnerability resides within the browser's handling of web content and specifically targets the memory management systems that process web pages. The flaw enables remote attackers to craft malicious websites that can trigger unpredictable behavior in the affected browsers, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system-wide denial of service conditions. The vulnerability's impact spans multiple versions of Internet Explorer, making it particularly dangerous as it affects a broad user base across different operational environments. Security researchers have classified this issue as a severe memory corruption vulnerability that could be exploited through standard web browsing activities without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a compromised website.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves improper memory handling during the processing of web content, which creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures in ways that were not anticipated by the browser's design. When Internet Explorer encounters malformed or specially crafted web content, the memory corruption occurs during the parsing and rendering processes, particularly affecting the browser's JavaScript engine and rendering components. This type of vulnerability typically stems from insufficient input validation and memory boundary checking mechanisms within the browser's codebase, allowing attackers to overwrite memory locations with malicious data. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious scripts, embedded objects, or specially crafted HTML content that triggers the flawed memory management routines. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability corresponds to CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions, both of which are fundamental memory safety issues that can lead to arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-1709 extends beyond simple exploitation attempts as it represents a significant threat to enterprise security environments where legacy Internet Explorer versions remain in use. Organizations running older versions of Internet Explorer face increased risk of successful exploitation, particularly in environments where users have limited security awareness or where automated patch management systems are not properly implemented. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target users from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target systems. This characteristic makes the vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors who can leverage it for large-scale attacks against multiple organizations simultaneously. The potential for denial of service attacks creates additional operational concerns as organizations may experience service interruptions and productivity losses when systems become compromised. From an attacker's perspective, the vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploiting software vulnerabilities to gain system access, and T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage for execution.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1709 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with Microsoft's security updates, which address the underlying memory corruption issues in Internet Explorer's processing engines. Organizations should implement network-level protections including web application firewalls and content filtering systems that can detect and block malicious content before it reaches user systems. Browser hardening measures such as disabling unnecessary features, implementing strict security zones, and using enhanced protection modes can reduce the attack surface available to exploiters. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify systems that may still be running vulnerable versions of Internet Explorer. Additionally, security awareness training programs should educate users about the dangers of visiting untrusted websites and the importance of keeping software updated. Organizations should also consider implementing browser isolation technologies and virtualization solutions to contain potential exploitation attempts and limit the damage that could occur from successful attacks. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the dangers associated with running legacy software in production environments.