CVE-2020-1567 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

On August 11, 2020, Microsoft disclosed a critical MSHTML Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability affecting Internet Explorer 11 and Internet Explorer 9.

Understanding CVE-2020-1567

What is CVE-2020-1567?

A remote code execution vulnerability was identified in the MSHTML engine due to improper input validation. Exploiting this flaw could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code within the current user's context. If the user has administrative rights, the attacker could take full control of the system.

The Impact of CVE-2020-1567

In a successful exploitation scenario, an attacker could install software, access, modify, or delete data, and create accounts with full user privileges. Additionally, in an HTML editing attack, users could unknowingly trigger the vulnerability by editing a specially crafted file.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-1567

Vulnerability Description

The security update addresses the vulnerability by enhancing how the MSHTML engine validates input.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Products: Internet Explorer 11 and Internet Explorer 9
Platforms: Various Windows versions including Windows 10, Windows Server, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2
Vulnerable Versions: Internet Explorer 11 (custom version 1.0.0) and Internet Explorer 9 (custom version 1.0.0)

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by manipulating input data to execute malicious code.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the security update provided by Microsoft to fix the vulnerability.
Regularly update systems to protect against known vulnerabilities.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement strong user permission policies to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Train users to recognize and avoid suspicious files or links to prevent exploitation.

Patching and Updates

Ensure all relevant systems are updated with the latest security patches.