CVE-2016-0116 in Edge
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Edge allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted web site, aka "Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0123, CVE-2016-0124, CVE-2016-0129, and CVE-2016-0130.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0116 represents a critical memory corruption flaw in Microsoft Edge browser that enables remote code execution and denial of service conditions through maliciously crafted web content. This vulnerability specifically affects the rendering engine of Microsoft Edge and demonstrates the inherent risks associated with complex browser architectures that process untrusted web content. The flaw manifests when Edge encounters specially crafted web pages that trigger memory corruption, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems or cause the browser to crash and become unresponsive.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within Edge's JavaScript engine and rendering components. Attackers can exploit this weakness by hosting malicious web content that, when loaded in Edge, causes the browser to improperly handle memory allocation and deallocation processes. The vulnerability operates at a low level within the browser's memory management system, where improper bounds checking or use-after-free conditions can occur when processing specific web elements. This type of memory corruption vulnerability typically falls under the CWE-125 vulnerability category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and may also align with CWE-787 for out-of-bounds write operations that can lead to arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-0116 extends beyond simple browser crashes, as successful exploitation can provide attackers with complete system compromise capabilities. When an attacker successfully triggers this vulnerability, they can potentially execute malicious code with the privileges of the Edge process, which typically runs with limited user privileges but can still provide a foothold for further exploitation. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where Edge is the default browser and users frequently access untrusted websites. This flaw can be leveraged as an initial access vector in broader attack campaigns, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system persistence, or lateral movement within network environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-0116 should include immediate deployment of Microsoft's security patches and updates, which address the underlying memory corruption issues through improved input validation and memory management routines. Organizations should implement network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems to prevent access to known malicious domains. Browser hardening measures including disabling unnecessary features, implementing strict security policies, and using sandboxing technologies can provide additional layers of protection. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving initial access through malicious web content and privilege escalation through browser-based exploits. Security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability and implement network detection capabilities to identify potential exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unusual memory access patterns and browser process behavior that might indicate exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities.