CVE-2016-7283 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."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2022
Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 9 through 11 contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks through malicious web content. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory operations within the browser's rendering engine, specifically affecting how Internet Explorer processes certain web elements and objects in memory. The flaw exists in the way the browser manages memory allocation and deallocation during webpage rendering, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures through carefully crafted web pages. The vulnerability falls under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are common attack vectors in memory corruption exploits. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability by hosting malicious web content that triggers specific memory access patterns, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running the browser. The exploitation process typically involves crafting web pages that cause Internet Explorer to access memory locations beyond allocated boundaries, allowing attackers to overwrite critical memory segments or inject malicious code into the browser process. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the browser level, meaning successful exploitation could provide attackers with full control over the victim's system. The impact extends beyond simple remote code execution to include potential privilege escalation scenarios where attackers might gain elevated system access. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to enterprise environments where Internet Explorer remains in use, as it requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for client execution, and T1059, which covers command and script interpreter execution. Organizations using older versions of Internet Explorer face particular exposure risk, as these browsers lack modern security mitigations such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability also relates to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers exploit for privilege escalation, as attackers might leverage the memory corruption to execute code with higher privileges. Microsoft addressed this vulnerability through security updates that improved memory management and added additional validation checks for web content processing. The remediation process required users to apply the relevant security patches, which included enhanced memory protection mechanisms and improved input validation. Organizations needed to implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems received the necessary updates. The vulnerability also highlighted the importance of browser security isolation and the need for regular security assessments of legacy browser environments. Modern security practices recommend transitioning away from unsupported browser versions and implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Additionally, the exploitability of this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies including web application firewalls and browser hardening measures. The incident underscored the ongoing risk posed by legacy browser support and the necessity of proactive vulnerability management programs to address similar issues in other software components.