CVE-2016-7195 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 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-2016-7198.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7195 represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 9 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 environments where users frequently browse the internet. The flaw enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems or cause denial of service conditions through memory corruption techniques that compromise the browser's stability and security posture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves memory corruption mechanisms that occur when browsers process specially crafted web content. Attackers can leverage this flaw by hosting malicious websites that trigger specific memory access patterns leading to buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory management errors within the browser's rendering engine. These memory corruption issues typically arise from insufficient input validation and improper memory handling when processing complex web elements such as JavaScript objects, DOM manipulations, or multimedia content. The vulnerability operates at the browser level where memory management and object lifecycle handling fail to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied data.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7195 extends beyond simple exploitation scenarios to encompass significant security risks for organizations relying on affected browser versions. Successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise where attackers gain arbitrary code execution privileges, potentially leading to data exfiltration, lateral movement within networks, or persistent backdoor installation. The vulnerability's remote nature means that users can be compromised simply by visiting malicious websites without any additional interaction required from the victim. Organizations may experience service disruption through denial of service conditions that force browser crashes or system instability, impacting productivity and requiring emergency patch management procedures.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patch deployment through Microsoft's security updates, as the primary defense against exploitation attempts. Organizations should implement browser hardening measures including disabling unnecessary browser features, implementing content security policies, and deploying web application firewalls to filter malicious content. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions can help detect exploitation attempts by identifying suspicious traffic patterns associated with known exploit signatures. Security teams should also consider implementing browser isolation techniques and mandatory patch management procedures to ensure rapid deployment of security updates. The vulnerability aligns with attack patterns documented in the attack mitigation framework, where proper input validation and memory management practices prevent such memory corruption exploits from succeeding.
This vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing challenges in browser security where complex rendering engines and scripting environments create numerous potential attack surfaces. The flaw's classification as a memory corruption vulnerability relates to common weakness enumerations such as CWE-121 and CWE-122, which address heap-based buffer overflows and memory allocation issues. Organizations must maintain comprehensive vulnerability management programs that include regular security assessments, penetration testing, and continuous monitoring for similar vulnerabilities across their browser environments. The incident highlights the importance of keeping browser software updated and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that reduce the attack surface available to adversaries targeting web browsers.