CVE-2012-4792 — Microsoft Internet Explorer Use-After-Free Vulnerability
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 exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- Exploited by 1 threat actor(s) (MITRE ATT&CK)+10
- Public exploit/PoC (metasploit, exploitdb)+20
- EPSS 78.8% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — technet.microsoft.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — docs.microsoft.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
CISA required action CISA
The impacted product is end-of-life and should be disconnected if still in use.
US federal deadline: Aug 13, 2024 — passed 793 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Microsoft Internet Explorer).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Exploitation requires user interaction: tighten email/web filtering and warn affected users.
- EPSS ahead of 100% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Internet Explorer | version 6version 7version 8 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.8 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.8 | 5.9 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 9.3 | CVSS 2.0 | High | 8.6 | 10.0 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
- MS13-008 Microsoft Internet Explorer CButton Object Use-After-Free Vulnerability normal Dec 27, 2012
- Microsoft Internet Explorer - CDwnBindInfo Object Use-After-Free (Metasploit) verified Dec 31, 2012
- Microsoft Internet Explorer - CButton Object Use-After-Free (Metasploit) verified Jan 2, 2013
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
Threat actors exploiting this CVE MITRE ATT&CK
According to MITRE ATT&CK.
Axiom G0001EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 12, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 78.82%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Jul 23, 2024 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · microsoft/internet explorer
- CVSS changed · 8.8
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2024
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- 2012
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
18 on the record
- docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2013/ms13-008
- technet.microsoft.com/security/advisory/2794220
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/119168/Microsoft-Internet-Explorer-CDwnBindInfo-Object-Use-Afte
- blog.fireeye.com/research/2012/12/council-foreign-relations-water-hole-attack-details.
- www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA13-008A.html
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-c5c8-vqpp-hm75
- blogs.technet.com/b/srd/archive/2012/12/29/new-vulnerability-affecting-internet-explore
- eromang.zataz.com/2012/12/29/attack-and-ie-0day-informations-used-against-council-on-fo
- oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A16361
- blogs.technet.com/b/srd/archive/2012/12/31/microsoft-quot-fix-it-quot-available-for-int
- labs.alienvault.com/labs/index.php/2012/just-another-water-hole-campaign-using-an-interne
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-4792
- www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/154201
- labs.alienvault.com/labs/index.php/2012/just-another-water-hole-campaign-using-an-interne
- www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA13-015A.html
- github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/brow
- eromang.zataz.com/2012/12/29/attack-and-ie-0day-informations-used-against-council-on-fo
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2021-27085 Microsoft Internet Explorer Remote Code Execution Vulnerability KEV Mar 11, 2021
- High CVE-2021-26411 Microsoft Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability KEV Mar 11, 2021
- Medium CVE-2020-0878 Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability KEV Sep 11, 2020
- High CVE-2020-1380 Microsoft Internet Explorer Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability KEV Aug 17, 2020
- High CVE-2020-0968 Microsoft Internet Explorer Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability KEV Apr 15, 2020
- High CVE-2020-0674 Microsoft Internet Explorer Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability KEV Feb 11, 2020
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2012-4792 is "Microsoft Internet Explorer Use-After-Free Vulnerability", rated High. It affects Internet Explorer (Microsoft); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 8.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 78.82% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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