CVE-2018-1000 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer, aka "Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability." This affects Internet Explorer 9, Internet Explorer 11, Internet Explorer 10. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2018-0981, CVE-2018-0987, CVE-2018-0989.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Microsoft Internet Explorer's scripting engine that emerged in 2018. The issue specifically manifests when the engine processes objects in memory, creating potential pathways for unauthorized data exposure. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Internet Explorer including IE9, IE10, and IE11, making it particularly concerning given the widespread deployment of these browser versions across enterprise environments. The flaw operates at a fundamental level within the browser's memory management system, where improperly handled object references can lead to information leakage that could be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves memory corruption patterns within the scripting engine's object handling mechanisms. When Internet Explorer processes certain JavaScript or VBScript code, the engine fails to properly manage object references in memory, potentially leading to data exposure through memory dump analysis or side-channel attacks. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and represents a classic case of improper information handling within application memory management. The vulnerability can be triggered through malicious web content that leverages specific scripting patterns to cause the engine to expose sensitive memory contents.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for organizations relying on older Internet Explorer versions. Attackers could potentially extract sensitive information from memory, including credentials, session tokens, or other confidential data that might be stored in memory during normal browser operations. The attack surface is particularly broad since the vulnerability can be exploited through standard web browsing activities, making it difficult to defend against through traditional network security measures. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Scripting" and T1068 for "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" when combined with other attack vectors.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through Microsoft's security updates and patches for affected Internet Explorer versions. The recommended mitigation strategy includes implementing the latest security patches from Microsoft, which address the memory handling flaws in the scripting engine. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing browser isolation techniques, network segmentation, and enhanced monitoring for suspicious memory access patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser security and demonstrates the risks associated with legacy browser support in enterprise environments. Organizations should also consider transitioning away from unsupported Internet Explorer versions to modern browsers with better security track records and more frequent security updates.