CVE-2015-6049 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," a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-6048.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 7 through 11, classified under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-125 as improper initialization of memory. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and memory management within the browser's rendering engine, specifically when processing maliciously crafted web content. Attackers can exploit this weakness by hosting specially crafted web pages that trigger memory corruption during normal browser operation, leading to arbitrary code execution or system crashes. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with heap-based buffer overflow conditions where malicious data can overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially allowing attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the targeted user. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects multiple versions of Internet Explorer, creating a broad attack surface across different Windows environments. The memory corruption occurs during the parsing and rendering of web content, making it difficult to detect through traditional network-based security measures since the malicious code is executed locally within the browser process. The vulnerability is categorized under the MITRE ATT&CK framework as part of the T1059 technique for command and script interpreter, specifically targeting the Windows Command Shell and PowerShell execution paths through browser-based attacks. The impact extends beyond simple code execution to include potential privilege escalation scenarios where attackers can leverage the vulnerability to gain elevated system privileges. Microsoft's security advisory indicates that the vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious websites, email attachments, and web-based social engineering campaigns that trick users into visiting compromised sites. The exploitation typically requires user interaction, such as visiting a malicious website or opening a malicious document, which aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1203 for legitimate user interaction. The memory corruption affects the browser's memory management systems, particularly in how it handles dynamic memory allocation and deallocation during web page rendering. Security researchers have identified that the vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory objects during JavaScript execution and DOM manipulation, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory pointers and execute arbitrary instructions. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw makes it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where users may inadvertently visit malicious websites or receive compromised emails. Organizations should consider implementing network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems to mitigate the risk, while also ensuring timely patch deployment through Microsoft's regular security updates. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser software and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include browser hardening configurations and user education programs to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation attempts.