CVE-2015-2482 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
The Microsoft (1) VBScript 5.7 and 5.8 and (2) JScript 5.7 and 5.8 engines, as used in Internet Explorer 8 through 11 and other products, allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted replace operation with a JavaScript regular expression, aka "Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2482 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the scripting engines of Microsoft Internet Explorer and related software products. This vulnerability affects both VBScript versions 5.7 and 5.8 as well as JScript versions 5.7 and 5.8, creating a significant attack surface across multiple Microsoft products. The flaw manifests specifically during crafted replace operations involving JavaScript regular expressions, making it particularly dangerous in web-based attack scenarios where malicious actors can leverage these scripting engines to execute arbitrary code or induce denial of service conditions. The vulnerability's impact extends across Internet Explorer versions 8 through 11, encompassing a substantial portion of the browser market during the affected period. This memory corruption vulnerability operates at a fundamental level within the scripting engine's memory management, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate memory addresses and execute malicious payloads with elevated privileges. The nature of the vulnerability places it squarely within CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are common vectors for memory corruption exploits. The attack vector relies on the manipulation of JavaScript regular expression processing during replace operations, a functionality that is frequently used in web applications and therefore presents a high-risk scenario for exploitation.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2015-2482 occurs when the affected scripting engines process malformed regular expressions within replace operations, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged by remote attackers. This corruption typically manifests through buffer overflows or improper memory handling during the processing of regular expression patterns, particularly when these patterns are used in conjunction with replace methods. The vulnerability's design allows attackers to craft specific regular expressions that, when processed by the affected scripting engines, cause memory corruption that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code. The memory corruption occurs at the level of the scripting engine's internal memory management, where improper bounds checking or memory allocation handling creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory contents. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through standard web browsing activities, requiring no special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The exploitation process typically involves crafting a malicious web page that contains JavaScript code utilizing the vulnerable replace operation with specially crafted regular expressions, which then triggers the memory corruption in the targeted scripting engine. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would fall under T1059.007 for script-based execution and T1203 for exploitation for client execution, demonstrating its capability to bypass traditional security measures through legitimate scripting functionality.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-2482 extends far beyond simple denial of service conditions, as the vulnerability can result in complete system compromise when successfully exploited. Organizations using affected versions of Internet Explorer and related software products face significant risks including unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and persistent backdoor installation. The vulnerability's ability to cause memory corruption means that attackers can potentially gain control over the affected system's execution flow, leading to privilege escalation scenarios where user-level processes can be elevated to system-level privileges. The widespread adoption of Internet Explorer across enterprise environments makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous, as a successful exploitation could compromise entire networks through a single vulnerable endpoint. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction, typically only visiting a malicious webpage, making it an attractive target for automated attack campaigns. Security researchers have noted that this vulnerability was frequently targeted in real-world attacks due to its reliability and the prevalence of affected software versions. Organizations that failed to patch or mitigate this vulnerability faced increased risk of advanced persistent threats and targeted attacks, particularly in environments where legacy systems were still in use. The vulnerability's impact on web-based applications also means that even organizations with robust network security measures could be compromised if their users accessed malicious websites through affected browsers. This makes the vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against, as it operates at the application layer and can bypass traditional network security controls. The memory corruption characteristics of the vulnerability also make it difficult to detect through standard intrusion detection systems, as the exploitation may appear as normal browser activity until the memory corruption is triggered. The vulnerability's persistence in the scripting engines means that even after initial exploitation, attackers can maintain access through legitimate scripting functionality, making long-term compromise more likely. Organizations that experienced successful exploitation of this vulnerability often reported extended periods of unauthorized access before detection, highlighting the stealthy nature of memory corruption-based attacks.