CVE-2015-0071 is a medium-severity vulnerability that allows remote attackers to bypass the Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) protection mechanism in Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 9 through 11. This vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations as it can be exploited through crafted web content.
With a CVSS score of 6.5, the vulnerability presents a medium level of severity, indicating that while it may not be critical, it still requires attention. The exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to high impact on the integrity of affected systems.
Organizations using Internet Explorer must be aware of the potential risks associated with this vulnerability, especially since it is exploit-friendly due to the low attack complexity and the requirement for user interaction.
Given the status of this vulnerability as analyzed, it is crucial for defenders to prioritize patching to prevent potential exploits. Organizations should review their security posture regarding the affected versions of Internet Explorer and take immediate action to mitigate risks.
Vulnerability Details
The official description of CVE-2015-0071 states that it allows remote attackers to bypass the ASLR protection mechanism via a crafted website. The vulnerability affects users of Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, 10, and 11.
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-264, which relates to permissions, privileges, and access controls. The CVSS v3.1 vector for this vulnerability is as follows: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
The attack vector is reported as NETWORK, indicating that exploitation can occur over the internet. The attack complexity is low, meaning that an attacker could exploit this vulnerability without significant effort, although user interaction is required.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the ASLR protection mechanism, which is designed to prevent memory corruption and code execution. When bypassed, it allows attackers to exploit memory layout in predictable ways, leading to high integrity impact.
The attack vector requires the user to visit a malicious website, which can be crafted to exploit this vulnerability. The attack complexity is low as it does not require elevated privileges or complex actions from the user.
Since no specific user interaction is required beyond visiting the malicious website, the risk is amplified. The vulnerability impacts only the integrity of the affected systems, with no confidentiality or availability impact reported.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Risk to organizations includes exploitation through crafted web pages, leading to unauthorized access and potential system compromise. The blast radius for this vulnerability could be significant, especially for organizations still using outdated versions of Internet Explorer.
Given the medium severity score and the findings in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability immediately to mitigate risks. The EPSS score at the 97th percentile indicates a high probability of exploitation in the wild, underscoring the urgency.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | Yes |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The vulnerability affects all versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer from 9 to 11. Organizations should ensure that they are using patched versions of Internet Explorer to mitigate this vulnerability.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should apply updates as per vendor instructions to remediate this vulnerability. Microsoft has released security updates detailed in their security bulletin, which can be found at Microsoft Security Bulletin MS15-009. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web filtering and monitoring solutions to detect potential exploit attempts.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploitation of this vulnerability, organizations should monitor logs for unusual web traffic patterns, particularly from users accessing potentially malicious websites. Behavioral anomalies in user sessions may also indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2015-0071 highlights the ongoing risks associated with legacy web browsers and the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices. Security teams should learn from this pattern of vulnerabilities to enhance their defensive strategies.
For organizations using Microsoft Internet Explorer, it is critical to adopt a proactive approach to security by implementing continuous security testing practices. Engaging in penetration testing can further assist in identifying and mitigating similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Organizations should also consider reviewing their application security posture and integrating comprehensive vulnerability management programs to ensure resilience against future threats.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
.webp)