CVE DATABASE / CVE-2012-4792
CVE-2012-4792
Microsoft Internet Explorer Use-After-Free Vulnerability
Confirmed exploited in the wild. Added 2024-07-23.
Federal remediation due 2024-08-13.
Required action: The impacted product is end-of-life and should be disconnected if still in use.
Summary
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.
CVSS 3.1 breakdown
| Base score | 8.8 (HIGH) |
| Vector | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| Attack vector | NETWORK |
| Attack complexity | LOW |
| Privileges required | NONE |
| User interaction | REQUIRED |
| Scope | UNCHANGED |
| Confidentiality | HIGH |
| Integrity | HIGH |
| Availability | HIGH |
Weakness type (CWE)
Affected products
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References
- http://blog.fireeye.com/research/2012/12/council-foreign-relations-water-hole-attack-details.html
- http://blogs.technet.com/b/srd/archive/2012/12/29/new-vulnerability-affecting-internet-explorer-8-users.aspx
- http://blogs.technet.com/b/srd/archive/2012/12/31/microsoft-quot-fix-it-quot-available-for-internet-explorer-6-7-and-8.aspx
- http://eromang.zataz.com/2012/12/29/attack-and-ie-0day-informations-used-against-council-on-foreign-relations/
- http://labs.alienvault.com/labs/index.php/2012/just-another-water-hole-campaign-using-an-internet-explorer-0day/
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/119168/Microsoft-Internet-Explorer-CDwnBindInfo-Object-Use-After-Free.html
- http://technet.microsoft.com/security/advisory/2794220
- http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/154201
- http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA13-008A.html
- http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA13-015A.html
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2013/ms13-008
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/browser/ie_cbutton_uaf.rb
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A16361
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2012-4792
Data: NIST NVD + CISA KEV. NVD last modified 2026-04-22. Always verify against the vendor advisory before acting.