{"id":"CVE-2012-4969","published":"2012-09-18T10:39:14Z","modified":"2026-06-16T23:45:58Z","title":"Microsoft Internet Explorer Use-After-Free Vulnerability","vendor":"Microsoft","product":"Internet Explorer","tier":"core","eol":{"product":"Internet Explorer","since":"2022-06-15","note":"No security updates; remove it."},"description":{"text":"Use-after-free vulnerability in the CMshtmlEd::Exec function in mshtml.dll in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 through 9 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted web site, as exploited in the wild in September 2012.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"A use-after-free flaw in the CMshtmlEd::Exec function of mshtml.dll, the rendering component of Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 through 9, allows memory to be accessed after it has been released. An remote attacker can execute arbitrary code by getting a victim to load a crafted web site, requiring no authentication but user interaction to visit the page.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:05:46Z"},"cvss":{"score":8.1,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.8025,"percentile":0.99618,"date":"2026-10-28","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-06-08","dueDate":"2022-06-22","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-4969","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2012-09-18","exploitedFirstSeen":"2012-09-18","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-4969","date":"2012-09-18"},{"url":"https://cybersecurity.att.com/blogs/labs-research/new-sykipot-developments","date":"2013-03-21"},{"url":"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/us-arrests-chinese-man-involved-with-sakula-malware-used-in-opm-and-anthem-hacks/","date":"2014-11-24"},{"url":"https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/scarlet-mimic-years-long-espionage-targets-minority-activists/","date":"2016-01-24"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2022-06-08"}],"evidenceTotal":5,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 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2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-416","name":"Use After Free"}],"references":[{"url":"http://blog.vulnhunt.com/index.php/2012/09/17/ie-execcommand-fuction-use-after-free-vulnerability-0day_en/","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://dev.metasploit.com/redmine/projects/framework/repository/entry/modules/exploits/windows/browser/ie_execcommand_uaf.rb","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://eromang.zataz.com/2012/09/16/zero-day-season-is-really-not-over-yet/","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://technet.microsoft.com/security/advisory/2757760","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/480095","tags":["Third Party Advisory","US Government Resource"]},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1027538","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securityweek.com/new-internet-explorer-zero-day-being-exploited-wild","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-255A.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory","US Government Resource"]},{"url":"http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-262A.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory","US Government Resource"]},{"url":"http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-265A.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory","US Government Resource"]},{"url":"https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A15729","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://blog.vulnhunt.com/index.php/2012/09/17/ie-execcommand-fuction-use-after-free-vulnerability-0day_en/","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://dev.metasploit.com/redmine/projects/framework/repository/entry/modules/exploits/windows/browser/ie_execcommand_uaf.rb","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://eromang.zataz.com/2012/09/16/zero-day-season-is-really-not-over-yet/","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://technet.microsoft.com/security/advisory/2757760","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/480095","tags":["Third Party Advisory","US Government Resource"]},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1027538","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securityweek.com/new-internet-explorer-zero-day-being-exploited-wild","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-255A.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory","US Government Resource"]},{"url":"http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-262A.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory","US Government Resource"]},{"url":"http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-265A.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory","US Government Resource"]},{"url":"https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A15729","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2012-4969","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1189","name":"Drive-by Compromise","tactics":["initial-access"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: Malicious website delivers exploit to browser","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted web site","start":118,"end":190}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"low","confidenceNote":"server-side bug exploitable without user interaction; client-execution technique does not fit"},{"id":"T1203","name":"Exploitation for Client Execution","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: Memory corruption yields code execution in client app","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"Use-after-free vulnerability in the CMshtmlEd::Exec function in mshtml.dll","start":0,"end":74}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"low","confidenceNote":"server-side bug exploitable without user interaction; client-execution technique does not fit"}],"reports":[{"id":"SRC-62aa640e098a9c9dc263","title":"Scarlet Mimic: Years-Long Espionage Campaign Targets Minority Activists","publisher":"unit42.paloaltonetworks.com","url":"https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/scarlet-mimic-years-long-espionage-targets-minority-activists/","date":"2016-01-24","mentions":[{"quote":"According to a blog by Websense, threat actors compromised the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago’s website to host malicious code that exploited a vulnerability in Internet Explorer (CVE-2012-4969.)","start":12874,"end":13066}]}],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2012-4893","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2012-4893","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2022-06-08","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[{"id":21840,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/21840","title":"Microsoft Internet Explorer - execCommand Use-After-Free (MS12-063) (Metasploit)","type":"remote","platform":"windows","date":"2012-10-10","verified":true,"provenance":"source"}],"exploitSources":{"exploitdb":{"count":1,"earliest":"2012-10-10"},"metasploit":[{"name":"MS12-063 Microsoft Internet Explorer execCommand Use-After-Free Vulnerability ","module":"exploit/windows/browser/ie_execcommand_uaf","type":"exploit","disclosureDate":"2012-09-14","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/browser/ie_execcommand_uaf.rb"}],"first":{"date":"2012-09-14","source":"Metasploit","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/browser/ie_execcommand_uaf.rb"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"related","techniques":["T1189","T1203"],"provenance":"ai","lowConfidence":true}],"timeline":[{"date":"2012-09-14","kind":"exploit-public","label":"First public exploit: Metasploit; later: Exploit-DB 2012-10-10","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/browser/ie_execcommand_uaf.rb","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2012-09-18","kind":"published","label":"Published 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exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2012-4893","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":null,"firstExploitFrom":"Metasploit","daysToKev":3550},"priority":{"score":57.5,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 5154 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":19.92,"detail":"percentile 0.9962"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":3.87,"detail":"1 report"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":5.0,"detail":"1 Exploit-DB entry; 1 Metasploit module"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":5.67,"detail":"base score 8.1"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":-15.0,"detail":"No patches exist; remove or isolate it"}]},"lineage":{"familyId":"fam-class-microsoft-internet-explorer-cwe-416"}}