CVE-2016-3390 in Edge
Summary
by MITRE
The scripting engines in Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted web site, as demonstrated by the Chakra JavaScript engine, aka "Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2022
The scripting engines in Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge contain a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution through malicious web content. This vulnerability affects the Chakra JavaScript engine, which serves as the core execution environment for JavaScript code in these browsers. The flaw manifests when the browser processes specially crafted web pages that trigger memory corruption conditions within the scripting engine's memory management systems.
This vulnerability represents a classic buffer overflow condition that occurs during JavaScript code execution, specifically within the Chakra engine's handling of memory allocation and deallocation. The memory corruption vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate heap memory structures and potentially overwrite critical program data or execution pointers. The issue stems from inadequate bounds checking and memory management within the JavaScript engine's parser and execution components, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious code that executes with the privileges of the browser process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems without user interaction. The memory corruption can be exploited through web-based attacks that do not require user authentication or specific system access. Successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to install malware, steal sensitive data, or maintain persistent access to affected systems. The vulnerability affects both Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge browsers, creating a wide attack surface across multiple Microsoft browser platforms.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions. The attack pattern corresponds to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under T1203, which covers Exploitation for Client Execution, and T1059, which covers Command and Scripting Interpreter. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Microsoft security patches, enabling enhanced browser security features, and deploying network-based protections such as web application firewalls to block malicious content. Browser hardening measures like disabling unnecessary scripting features and implementing strict content security policies can further reduce the attack surface. Regular security assessments and monitoring for exploitation attempts should be maintained to detect potential abuse of this vulnerability in the wild.
The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure memory management in modern browser engines and highlights the ongoing challenges in defending against sophisticated exploitation techniques. Microsoft's patch management process became critical for addressing this issue, as the vulnerability remained exploitable until proper security updates were deployed across affected systems. Organizations should maintain comprehensive vulnerability management programs to ensure timely patch deployment and reduce exposure windows for similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in browser components.