CVE-2015-2397 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-2015-2385, CVE-2015-2390, CVE-2015-2404, CVE-2015-2406, and CVE-2015-2422.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw in Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6 through 11 that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks through malicious web content. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory operations within the browser's rendering engine, specifically affecting how Internet Explorer processes certain web elements and objects in memory. Attackers can craft specially designed web pages that trigger memory corruption when the browser attempts to render or execute the malicious content, leading to arbitrary code execution on the victim's system or complete browser crash.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. These memory corruption issues occur when the browser's memory management fails to properly validate input data or maintain proper bounds checking during object manipulation. The flaw exists in the browser's JavaScript engine and HTML rendering components, where insufficient validation allows attackers to manipulate memory addresses and execute malicious code with the privileges of the logged-in user. This vulnerability operates at the kernel level memory management, making it particularly dangerous as it can bypass many standard security controls.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations as it affects a widely deployed browser across multiple operating system versions. The attack surface is extensive since Internet Explorer was commonly used for both corporate and personal browsing activities, making it a prime target for nation-state actors and cybercriminals. The vulnerability can be exploited through drive-by downloads, malicious advertisements, or compromised websites, requiring no user interaction beyond visiting the malicious page. This makes it particularly effective for large-scale attacks and increases the probability of successful exploitation in real-world scenarios.
The impact of exploitation can range from complete system compromise to denial of service conditions that disrupt business operations. Successful exploitation allows attackers to install malware, steal sensitive data, or maintain persistent access to compromised systems. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including browser updates, security policy enforcement, and network-based protections such as web application firewalls. The vulnerability also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) which highlight the attack vectors and post-exploitation capabilities available to threat actors. Given the age of affected browsers and the availability of patches, organizations should prioritize immediate remediation and consider implementing browser hardening measures to reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation attempts.