Critical

Time Element Memory Corruption Vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6-8

IdentifiersCVE-2011-1255CWE-416

CVE-2011-1255 is a memory-corruption vulnerability in the Timed Interactive Multimedia Extensions (HTML+TIME) implementation in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 through 8. According to the provided description, Internet Explorer does not properly handle objects in memory, allowing access to an object that was either not properly initialized or had already been deleted. This results in memory corruption in the browser process and can be triggered by a remote attacker via a crafted web page. Microsoft refers to this issue as the "Time Element Memory Corruption Vulnerability."

For your environment

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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 arbitrary code execution in the context of the logged-in user. In practical terms, this enables an attacker to run attacker-controlled code when a victim visits a malicious web page or otherwise renders attacker-supplied HTML content in a vulnerable version of Internet Explorer. If the user has elevated privileges, the attacker may be able to fully compromise the affected system.

Mitigation

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

Until patches are applied, reduce exposure by preventing use of vulnerable Internet Explorer versions, especially for untrusted web content. Restrict or disable access to Internet Explorer where operationally feasible, enforce least-privilege for end users to limit post-exploitation impact, and use browser-hardening controls such as Protected Mode and enterprise web filtering to reduce drive-by exploitation risk. Network and endpoint controls that block known exploit-kit or malicious sites may also reduce exposure.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the Microsoft security update that addresses CVE-2011-1255 for affected Internet Explorer versions 6, 7, and 8. Upgrade to a supported and patched version of Internet Explorer or migrate to a supported browser/platform no longer affected by this HTML+TIME memory-handling flaw. Standard patch-management validation should confirm that the vulnerable IE components handling HTML+TIME content have been updated.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No valid public exploits. Mallory filtered out 1 candidate as fakes, detection scripts, or README-only repos.

VALID 0 / 1 TOTALView more in app

All candidate exploits were filtered out by Mallory's validation.

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

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

4 SOURCESView more in app

contagiodump blogNews

May 12, 2015

contagio: An Overview of Exploit Packs (Update 25) May 2015

An Internet Explorer memory corruption vulnerability included in the Chinese Zhi Zhu Pack.

mitre attackNews

Jan 25, 2026

Exploitation for Client Execution, Technique T1203 - Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK®

An Internet Explorer vulnerability exploited for code execution.

mitre attackNews

Jan 25, 2026

Exploitation for Client Execution, Technique T1203 - Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK®

An Internet Explorer vulnerability used for code execution.

mitre attackNews

Mar 18, 2026

Exploitation for Client Execution, Technique T1203 - Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK®

An Internet Explorer vulnerability exploited for code execution.

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.

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Exposure mapping

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

Threat actor evidence1

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

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES

MITRE CVE

cve.org · CVE-2011-1255

NVD

nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-1255

MITRE CWE · CWE-416

cwe.mitre.org

Patch

docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2011/ms11-050

Tool Signature

oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A12227

Time Element Memory Corruption Vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6-8

IdentifiersCVE-2011-1255CWE-416