CVE-2015-6154 in Edge
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 through 11 and Microsoft Edge allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted web site, aka "Microsoft Browser Memory Corruption Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-6150.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6154 represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 7 through 11 and Microsoft Edge browsers. This vulnerability falls under the category of remote code execution flaws that can be exploited through maliciously crafted web content, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise and consumer environments where users frequently browse the internet. The flaw enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to systems and execute arbitrary code remotely, potentially leading to complete system compromise and data exfiltration.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory operations within the browser's rendering engine, specifically affecting how Internet Explorer processes certain web elements and JavaScript objects. When a user visits a malicious website containing specially crafted HTML or JavaScript code, the browser's memory management system becomes corrupted, leading to unpredictable behavior that attackers can leverage to inject and execute malicious payloads. This memory corruption occurs during the parsing and rendering of web content, particularly when dealing with complex object hierarchies and dynamic content manipulation. The vulnerability is classified as a heap-based buffer overflow or use-after-free condition, where memory allocated to browser processes becomes corrupted through improper memory management practices.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations as it can be exploited through simple web browsing activities without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious site. Attackers can deploy this vulnerability in phishing campaigns, drive-by download scenarios, or by compromising legitimate websites that serve as attack vectors. The exploitation capability extends to both local and remote attackers, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may inadvertently visit compromised websites. The vulnerability's impact includes complete system compromise, data theft, persistent backdoor installation, and potential lateral movement within network environments, making it a prime target for advanced persistent threat actors.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, including immediate patch deployment for all affected Microsoft browser versions, network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts, and user education programs to reduce the risk of visiting malicious websites. Organizations should also consider implementing browser hardening techniques such as disabling unnecessary browser features, implementing content security policies, and using sandboxing technologies to limit the potential impact of successful exploits. The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including initial access through malicious web content, execution through browser exploits, and privilege escalation once initial compromise is achieved. Additionally, this vulnerability maps to CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions, both of which are common in memory corruption vulnerabilities affecting web browsers. Organizations must also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for anomalous browser behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability's exploitation typically involves specific memory corruption patterns that can be detected through behavioral analysis and network traffic monitoring.