Assessment
Why it matters
CISA lists this vulnerability as known to be exploited; exploitation is confirmed; EPSS is 78.8%; technical severity is CVSS 8.8.
Use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 through 8 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted web site that triggers access to an object that (1) was not properly allocated or (2) is deleted, as demonstrated by a CDwnBindInfo object, and exploited in the wild in December 2012.
Who should care
- Teams operating Internet Explorer
- Vulnerability and exposure management teams
- Security operations teams monitoring exploitation activity
Response plan
What I would do
- Confirm whether Internet Explorer is present in the environment.
- Identify affected versions and establish whether vulnerable services are exposed or reachable.
- Microsoft Security patch 2794220
- Review relevant security telemetry for evidence of attempted or successful exploitation.
- Document the remediation decision and track it to verified completion.
Treatment intelligence
Remediation intelligence
Vendor sources are listed before government and third-party guidance. Confirm product applicability and change prerequisites before deployment.
Verification noteAutomated link verification has not completed for this guidance yet.
Patch
Technical details
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CWE
- CWE-416
- Affected versions
- Microsoft Internet Explorer (Version 6 | Version 7 | Version 8)
- Fixed versions
- No explicit fixed version is currently recorded.
- Published
- 30 December 2012
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
Signal timeline
- CVE published
- Added to CISA KEV
- Latest EPSS score: 78.8%
- Signal calculated at 82
External references
- CERT/CC Government advisory 154201
- CISA Government advisory CVE-2012-4792
- GitHub Exploit information Ie Cbutton Uaf.rb
- Blog Fireeye Technical reference Council Foreign Relations Water Hole Attack Details
- Blogs Technet Technical reference New Vulnerability Affecting Internet Explorer 8 Users
- Blogs Technet Technical reference Microsoft Quot Fix It Quot Available For Internet Explorer 6 7 And 8
- Eromang Zataz Third-party advisory Attack And Ie 0day Informations Used Against Council On Foreign Relations
- Packetstormsecurity Third-party advisory Microsoft Internet Explorer CDwnBindInfo Object Use After Free
- Us Cert Government advisory TA13 008A
- Us Cert Government advisory TA13 015A
- Oval Cisecurity Technical reference Oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A16361