An extreme security risk, CVE-2009-3672 must be addressed immediately to prevent system compromise.
Status: Deferred
Last updated: 🕧 09 Apr 2025, 00:30 UTC
Originally published on: 🕦 02 Dec 2009, 11:30 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 5606 days
CVSS Release: version 2
CVE-2009-3672: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 and 7 does not properly handle objects in memory that (1) were not properly initialized or (2) are deleted, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via vectors involving a call to the getElementsByTagName method for the STYLE tag name, selection of the single element in the returned list, and a change to the outerHTML property of this element, related to Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and mshtml.dll, aka "HTML Object Memory Corruption Vulnerability." NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information. NOTE: this issue was originally assigned CVE-2009-4054, but Microsoft assigned a duplicate identifier of CVE-2009-3672. CVE consumers should use this identifier instead of CVE-2009-4054.
The exploitability of CVE-2009-3672 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
Moderate complexity but no authentication required makes CVE-2009-3672 a potential risk.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2009-3672, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2009-3672, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.
EPSS Score: 92.286% (probability of exploit)
EPSS Percentile: 99.25%
(lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 0.75% of others.
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