CVE-2016-0104 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 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."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2022
Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions through maliciously crafted web content. This vulnerability represents a classic heap-based buffer overflow scenario where improper input validation leads to memory corruption during web page rendering operations. The flaw occurs when Internet Explorer processes specially crafted HTML elements or JavaScript code that triggers memory allocation errors in the browser's rendering engine.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking and memory management within Internet Explorer's JavaScript engine and HTML parser. When processing malformed web content, the browser fails to properly validate memory allocations, leading to corruption of adjacent memory regions. This memory corruption can be exploited to overwrite critical program pointers, function return addresses, or executable code sections, thereby enabling arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability specifically affects Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows 8 systems, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these older browser versions remain in use.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations as it can be exploited through standard web browsing activities without any user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. Attackers can craft web pages containing malicious payloads that trigger the memory corruption when rendered by the vulnerable browser. The exploitability of this vulnerability is enhanced by the fact that it requires no user authentication or special privileges, making it particularly dangerous for phishing campaigns and drive-by download attacks. The memory corruption can also result in denial of service conditions where the browser crashes or becomes unstable, disrupting legitimate user sessions and potentially enabling further exploitation attempts.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution. Organizations should immediately apply Microsoft's security patches and updates to remediate this vulnerability, while also implementing browser hardening measures such as disabling unnecessary browser features, implementing content security policies, and using sandboxing technologies. Additionally, network-based protections including web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can help detect and block exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of Internet Explorer 10 in the environment that may require immediate remediation through browser migration or mandatory patching protocols.