Vulnerability: (977981) Vulnerability in Internet Explorer Could Allow Remote Code Execution
Back to Latest vulnerabilities homepage
Click any highlighted term for further explanation.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Vulnerability name/brief description | (977981) Vulnerability in Internet Explorer Could Allow Remote Code Execution |
| CVE/CAN name | |
| Vendor threat level | None |
| SophosLabs threat level | High |
| Solution | None |
| Vendor description | Microsoft is investigating new public reports of a vulnerability in Internet Explorer. Our investigation so far has shown that Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 4 and Internet Explorer 8 on all supported versions of Microsoft Windows are not affected, and that Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, and Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7 on supported editions of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008 are affected. It is possible under certain conditions for a CSS/Style object to be accessed after the object is deleted. In a specially-crafted attack, Internet Explorer attempting to access a freed object can lead to running attacker-supplied code. |
| SophosLabs comments | Although there are currently no known exploits for this vulnerability, and Microsoft have not reported any known attacks, there is every possiblity for that to change suddenly. In order for users to become a victim of such an attack they would have to visit a malicious web page, and although they could be socially engineered to do so the chances of doing this during the course of sensible web-browsing is quite low. Nevertheless, given the damage potential and the fact that this is an unpatched vulnerability we are assigning this a threat level of high. |
| SophosLabs testing result | N/A |
| Currently known exploits | Mal/JSShell-B - CVE-2009-3672 |
| First sample seen | 23rd November 2009 |
| Discovery date | 23rd November 2009 |
| Affected software | Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Internet Explorer 6 for Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows XP Service Pack 3, and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Internet Explorer 6 for Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2, Windows Server 2003 with SP2 for Itanium-based Systems, and Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows XP Service Pack 3, and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Internet Explorer 7 for Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2, Windows Server 2003 with SP2 for Itanium-based Systems, and Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista, Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2, and Windows Vista x64 Edition, Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2 Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 |
| References | http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/977981.mspx |
| Credits | Microsoft |
| Revisions | 25th November 2009 - Initial analysis written |
Explanation of terms
Vulnerability Name/Brief Description:
Vendor identifier plus a brief description of the type of attack.
CVE/CAN Name:
Currently assigned CVE name. If a CVE name doesn't exist the CAN name will be used until a CVE has been assigned.
Vendor Threat Level:
Threat level assigned by the vendor
SophosLabs Threat Level:
Threat level assigned by SophosLabs
- LOW RISK - There is little chance of this vulnerability being actively exploited by malware.
- MEDIUM RISK - There is a possibility of this vulnerability being actively exploited by malware.
- HIGH RISK - There is a strong possibility of this vulnerability being actively exploited by malware.
- CRITICAL RISK - This vulnerability will almost certainly be actively exploited by malware.
Solution:
Vendor-supplied Patch identifier and recommended solution, or workaround if applicable.
Vendor Description:
Summary of the cause and potential effect of the vulnerability provided by the vendor.
SophosLabs Comments:
SophosLabs' opinions and observations of the vulnerability in question.
SophosLabs Testing Result:
Details of completed lab testing, if applicable. Please note that the lab test environment may differ significantly from user environments.
Currently Known Exploits:
List of identities for known exploits, if applicable.
First Sample Seen:
Date of the first sample seen by SophosLabs.
Discovery Date:
Date of the earliest known publically disclosed advisory.
Affected Software:
Vulnerable platforms and software versions.
If you need more information or guidance, then please contact technical support.
- Article ID: 67122
- Created: 25 Nov 2009
- Last updated: 9 Apr 2010
