Critical

Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability

IdentifiersCVE-2015-0031CWE-119

CVE-2015-0031 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 through 11. According to the provided content, the flaw can be triggered when a user visits a specially crafted web page in a vulnerable version of Internet Explorer. Microsoft classifies it as an Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability and indicates that exploitation may occur via malicious or compromised websites, including malicious advertisements. The issue stems from improper handling of objects in memory within Internet Explorer, which can lead to memory corruption and, depending on exploit reliability, arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user or a denial-of-service condition.

For your environment

Are you exposed to this one?

Mallory correlates every CVE against your assets, your vendors, and active adversary campaigns. Know which vulnerabilities matter for you, not just which ones are loud.

Start free trial

ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation can allow remote code execution with the privileges of the current user. If the user is running with administrative rights, the attacker may be able to fully compromise the affected system. The vulnerability may also be leveraged to cause denial of service through memory corruption. Client systems are at higher risk, while affected Windows Server systems are somewhat less exposed because Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration reduces exposure to hostile web content.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

The provided content states that Microsoft identified no specific workarounds or mitigating factors for the memory corruption vulnerabilities themselves. Practical risk reduction measures include limiting user privileges so successful exploitation does not yield administrative control, and on Windows Server relying on Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration, which reduces exposure to specially crafted web content. Preventing users from visiting untrusted or attacker-controlled web content also reduces exploit opportunity, but this is not presented as a formal vendor workaround.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply Microsoft Security Update 3034682. For Internet Explorer 9, 10, and 11, the provided content states that both update 3021952 and update 3034196 are required for full protection. Microsoft also notes that when installing manually, update 3021952 should be installed before 3034196 to avoid degraded page rendering. On some platforms, installing 3021952 also installs updates 3023607 and 3036197 automatically.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

Microsoft CorporationInternet Explorerapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

2 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

2 SOURCESView more in app

microsoft technet subdomainNews

Mar 1, 2023

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS15-009 - Critical | Microsoft Learn

A memory corruption vulnerability in Internet Explorer that could allow remote code execution if a user views specially crafted web content.

microsoft technet subdomainNews

Mar 1, 2023

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS15-009 - Critical | Microsoft Learn

A memory corruption vulnerability in Internet Explorer that could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.

Start free trial

Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity