Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Microsoft Patches Out-of-Band Zero-Day Security Flaw for IE

    By
    Sean Michael Kerner
    -
    December 20, 2018
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      ie_logo.png

      Users of Microsoft’s Windows operating system have grown accustomed to a regular, predictable cadence for patches—on the first Tuesday of every month.

      On Dec. 19, Microsoft broke that cadence with an emergency out-of-band update for its Internet Explorer (IE) web browser. The reason is simple: Attackers are actively exploiting a zero-day vulnerability, putting millions of users around the world at immediate risk.

      “We released a security update for Internet Explorer after receiving a report from Google about a new vulnerability being used in targeted attacks,” the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) wrote in a media advisory.

      The flaw impacts multiple versions of IE, ranging from IE 9 on Windows Server 2008 all the way up to IE 11 running on Windows 10. IE has been Microsoft’s primary web browser, but with the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft introduced the Edge web browser, which is intended to be the successor to IE. The new flaw apparently is limited to IE and so does not impact Edge.

      CVE-2018-8653

      The zero-day flaw has been designated as CVE-2018-8653 and is identified by Microsoft as a scripting engine memory corruption vulnerability.

      “A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer,” Microsoft warned in its security advisory. “The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.”

      The memory corruption could have enabled an attacker to have the same access to a system as the logged-in user. Microsoft stated that if a victim browser was logged in as an administrator, the attacker could then get administrative access to a vulnerable system. In that scenario, attackers could do whatever they wanted on a compromised system, including deleting data, installing new programs or even adding new user accounts.

      In terms of how the CVE-2018-8653 issue could be exploited, Microsoft stated that in a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit the vulnerability through IE and then persuade a user to view the website, for example, via a phishing email.

      Neither Microsoft nor Google has yet to publicly disclose the actual attacks where the CVE-2018-8653 issue is currently being used, though Microsoft did disclose that Google alerted it that the flaw is being used in targeted attacks.

      Patching

      For Microsoft Windows users, patches for the CVE-2018-8653 issue are now available via the standard Windows update mechanism. Patches are also available on the MSRC issue page for CVE-2018-8653.

      There are other measures that enterprises can take to help reduce the risk of the CVE-2018-8653 vulnerability. Multiple Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) including the open-source Snort project, which is run by Cisco, have provided updates to help identify and block the issue. By identifying and blocking the issue at the network layer, enterprises can limit the risk of the vulnerability being used against unpatched endpoints.

      In its own advisory on the issue, Symantec recommends that users simply not run IE in administrative mode.

      “To reduce the impact of latent vulnerabilities, always run nonadministrative software as an unprivileged user with minimal access rights,” Symantec advised.

      Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eWEEK and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.

      Sean Michael Kerner
      Sean Michael Kerner is an Internet consultant, strategist, and contributor to several leading IT business web sites.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×