CVE-2016-0107 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 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-2016-0105, CVE-2016-0111, CVE-2016-0112, and CVE-2016-0113.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw in Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 9 through 11 that enables remote code execution through malicious web content. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of memory operations during web page rendering, specifically when processing certain HTML elements and JavaScript constructs. Attackers can craft malicious websites that trigger buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions in the browser's memory management system, leading to arbitrary code execution or system crashes. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it operates at the browser level where users frequently interact with web content, making exploitation relatively straightforward through social engineering or compromised websites. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read category and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage browser vulnerabilities to execute malicious code on target systems. The memory corruption occurs when Internet Explorer processes malformed web elements, causing the browser to write data beyond allocated memory boundaries or access freed memory locations. The impact extends beyond simple code execution to include potential privilege escalation scenarios where attackers can gain elevated system access. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw means that users need only visit a malicious website to be compromised, without requiring any additional user interaction or specific system conditions. This makes it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where users may inadvertently navigate to compromised sites or receive malicious links through phishing campaigns. The flaw demonstrates the inherent complexity of modern browser security architectures and highlights the challenges in maintaining memory safety across extensive codebases. Organizations affected by this vulnerability face significant risk of data breaches, system compromise, and potential lateral movement within networks. The vulnerability's exploitation typically involves crafting specific HTML payloads that trigger the memory corruption during normal browsing operations, making detection and prevention challenging. Microsoft's patch for this vulnerability addressed the underlying memory management issues in the browser's rendering engine, requiring users to apply security updates promptly to maintain system integrity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves complex interactions between JavaScript engines, HTML parsers, and memory management subsystems within Internet Explorer. When processing certain combinations of HTML tags, CSS properties, and JavaScript events, the browser's memory allocation and deallocation mechanisms fail to properly validate input data, leading to memory corruption. This type of vulnerability often requires extensive code analysis and exploitation development to create effective attack vectors. The flaw's impact on system stability manifests as either immediate code execution or gradual memory corruption that eventually leads to denial of service conditions. Security researchers have documented similar patterns in other browser vulnerabilities, particularly those involving complex rendering engines where multiple subsystems interact in unpredictable ways. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple Internet Explorer versions indicates a fundamental flaw in the browser's architecture that required comprehensive patching. Network defenders must implement layered security approaches including web application firewalls, browser hardening configurations, and user education to mitigate risks associated with this type of memory corruption vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a client-side exploitation technique where adversaries leverage browser vulnerabilities to establish persistent access to target systems. Organizations should consider implementing browser isolation techniques and mandatory security updates as part of their overall security strategy to address such vulnerabilities effectively.