CVE-2019-1371 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory, aka 'Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability'.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-1371 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Microsoft Internet Explorer that enables remote code execution under specific conditions. This vulnerability stems from how Internet Explorer handles object references in memory, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures and execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The flaw exists in the browser's handling of memory objects during normal web browsing operations, particularly when processing certain web content that triggers improper memory management behaviors.
From a technical perspective, the vulnerability manifests as a heap-based buffer overflow or memory corruption issue that occurs when Internet Explorer attempts to access objects in memory without proper validation of object boundaries or memory integrity. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to memory corruption and potentially arbitrary code execution. The flaw typically occurs during JavaScript execution or when processing specific HTML elements that trigger memory allocation and deallocation sequences within the browser's rendering engine.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows remote attackers to execute malicious code on target systems without user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that, when loaded in Internet Explorer, trigger the memory corruption condition and subsequently execute attacker-controlled code with the privileges of the current user. This vulnerability affects all supported versions of Internet Explorer and can be exploited through various attack vectors including phishing emails, compromised websites, or malicious advertisements. The exploitability of this vulnerability is enhanced by the fact that it requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage, making it particularly effective for large-scale attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-1371 primarily involve immediate patching of affected systems with Microsoft's security updates, as well as implementing additional security measures such as disabling Internet Explorer's scripting capabilities, implementing browser isolation techniques, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing the principle of least privilege and ensuring that users have minimal system privileges when browsing the web. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving exploitation of known vulnerabilities and privilege escalation through browser-based attacks. The recommended approach includes maintaining up-to-date security patches, implementing security awareness training, and utilizing modern browser security features such as sandboxing and exploit protection mechanisms that can help prevent successful exploitation attempts.