CVE-2015-1710 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-2015-1694.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2022
Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6 through 11 contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions through maliciously crafted web content. This vulnerability specifically affected the browser's handling of memory operations during web page rendering and script execution processes. The flaw manifested when Internet Explorer encountered specially crafted HTML elements, JavaScript code, or ActiveX controls that triggered improper memory management behaviors. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by hosting malicious content on compromised websites or through phishing campaigns that诱导 users to visit malicious pages. The vulnerability's impact was severe as it allowed for privilege escalation and system compromise, potentially enabling attackers to gain full control over affected systems. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability falls under CWE-125: "Out-of-bounds Read" and CWE-787: "Out-of-bounds Write," representing memory corruption issues that occur when programs access memory locations outside their allocated bounds. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1203: "Exploitation for Client Execution" and T1059: "Command and Scripting Interpreter," as it enables attackers to execute malicious code through browser-based exploitation techniques. The memory corruption occurred primarily during the processing of complex web page elements, particularly when handling object references, string operations, and dynamic memory allocation. This vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it affected such a wide range of Internet Explorer versions, making it difficult for organizations to protect their systems by simply updating to newer browser versions. The exploitation required no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website, making it highly effective for large-scale attacks. Security researchers noted that the vulnerability could be chained with other exploits to create more sophisticated attack vectors, and the lack of proper bounds checking in Internet Explorer's rendering engine made it particularly susceptible to memory corruption attacks. Organizations needed to implement immediate mitigations including browser hardening, patch management, and network-level protections to defend against this vulnerability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stemmed from improper memory management within Internet Explorer's JavaScript engine and rendering components. When processing malformed web content, the browser failed to properly validate memory access operations, leading to buffer overflows or heap corruption. Attackers could craft specific web pages containing malicious JavaScript or HTML elements that would trigger the memory corruption during normal browsing operations. The vulnerability was particularly insidious because it could be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious advertisements, compromised websites, or social engineering campaigns. Security analysts observed that the exploitation typically involved creating memory corruption conditions that could be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the currently logged-in user. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue meant that attackers could potentially overwrite critical memory locations, including function pointers or return addresses, to redirect program execution flow. This made the vulnerability highly valuable in exploit development as it provided a reliable method for achieving code execution on target systems. The ATT&CK technique T1059.007: "JavaScript" was particularly relevant as attackers could leverage JavaScript-based exploitation methods to trigger the memory corruption. Organizations implementing security controls needed to consider both application-level protections and network-based defenses to mitigate the risk posed by this vulnerability. The widespread adoption of Internet Explorer across enterprise environments made this vulnerability particularly concerning, as exploitation could result in significant security breaches and data compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patch deployment as Microsoft released security updates to address the memory corruption flaws in affected Internet Explorer versions. Organizations needed to implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all systems received the necessary security updates promptly. Browser hardening techniques including disabling unnecessary features, restricting ActiveX controls, and implementing enhanced security zones helped reduce the attack surface. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems provided additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. Security professionals recommended implementing the principle of least privilege and regular security assessments to identify potential exploitation vectors. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust browser security configurations. Organizations should have established incident response procedures to quickly identify and respond to potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, user education and awareness programs helped reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that could lead to exploitation of this vulnerability. The remediation process required careful testing of patches to ensure compatibility with existing applications and business processes. Security teams needed to monitor threat intelligence feeds for indicators of exploit activity and maintain updated threat models to understand the evolving attack landscape. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple Internet Explorer versions demonstrated the critical need for organizations to maintain comprehensive security hygiene practices and regular vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate similar issues.