CVE-2010-0492 | Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 - mstime.dll Operational Intel

Executive Risk Summary

"A use-after-free vulnerability in mstime.dll of Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via vectors related to the TIME2 behavior, the CTimeAction object, and destruction of markup, leading to memory corruption. This vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to gain control over the affected system."

Anticipated Attack Path

1. Initial Exploitation: Attacker crafts malicious HTML content to exploit the use-after-free vulnerability in mstime.dll
2. Privilege Escalation: Exploited code executes with the privileges of the current user, potentially allowing for further system compromise
3. Persistence and Lateral Movement: Attacker may use the compromised system as a foothold for further attacks within the network

Am I Vulnerable?

Verify that Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 is updated to the latest patch level
Monitor system logs for suspicious activity related to the exploitation of this vulnerability
Implement additional security controls, such as web application firewalls, to detect and prevent similar attacks

Operational Audit Arsenal

Target Type DLL

Target Asset mstime.dll

Standard Path C:\Windows\System32\mstime.dll

PowerShell

# 🛠️ Senior Engineer Universal Audit
# Target: mstime.dll (DLL)
$Targets = 'mstime.dll'
$SearchPaths = @("$env:windir\System32", "$env:ProgramFiles", "${env:ProgramFiles(x86)}")

Get-ChildItem -Path $SearchPaths -Include $Targets -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | 
Select-Object FullName, @{Name="Version";Expression={$_.VersionInfo.ProductVersion}}

Patch Impact Forecast

Reboot Required Likely

Moderate, as the patch may require a system reboot and may affect the functionality of certain web applications

Internal Work Notes

Urgent: Apply MS10-018 patch to all systems running Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 to prevent exploitation of the HTML Object Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2010-0492)

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