Actively exploitedCVSS 8.8 · HIGH

CVE-2010-0249

Microsoft Internet Explorer contains an use-after-free vulnerability that could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by accessing a pointer associated with a deleted object. The impacted product could be end-of-life (EoL) and/or end-of-service (EoS). Users should discontinue product utilization.

View on NVD

Analysis

Microsoft Internet Explorer is vulnerable to remote code execution via a use-after-free flaw. This specific vulnerability was famously used in the Operation Aurora attacks and remains a critical reference for legacy system security and browser-based exploitation.

Relevant roles

WindowsCyberSecurityFrontendJavascript

Severity

Score: 8.8(HIGH)

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

AV: NETWORK

AC: LOW

PR: NONE

UI: REQUIRED

S: UNCHANGED

C: HIGH

I: HIGH

A: HIGH

Weakness (CWE): CWE-416

CISA KEV

Added to KEV: 2026-05-20

Federal patch deadline: 2026-06-03

Known ransomware use: Unknown

Required action

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

EPSS

Probability of exploitation (next 30 days): 0.8868 (88.7%)

Percentile: 99.5%

EPSS: 2026-05-26

Affects

microsoft:internet_explorermicrosoft:windows_2000microsoft:windows_server_2003microsoft:windows_xpmicrosoft:windows_server_2008microsoft:windows_vistamicrosoft:windows_7

Technical description

Use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 6 SP1, 7, and 8 on Windows 2000 SP4; Windows XP SP2 and SP3; Windows Server 2003 SP2; Windows Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2; Windows Server 2008 Gold, SP2, and R2; and Windows 7 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by accessing a pointer associated with a deleted object, related to incorrectly initialized memory and improper handling of objects in memory, as exploited in the wild in December 2009 and January 2010 during Operation Aurora, aka "HTML Object Memory Corruption Vulnerability."

Published: 1/15/2010, 5:30:00 PM

Last modified: 5/21/2026, 12:57:01 PM

References

How to read this card

Actively exploited

KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities) is CISA's catalog of CVEs confirmed as actively exploited in the real world. If a CVE is on KEV, someone is already using it in attacks.

CVSS 10.0

CVSS 10.0 — máxima severidad teórica. Explotable de forma remota, sin privilegios, con impacto total. Aún no confirmada como explotada en el mundo real, pero parchea ya.

AI-recommended

Un modelo de lenguaje revisó el CVE y consideró que afecta a software ampliamente desplegado o herramientas comunes de desarrollo. Un humano del equipo aprobó la publicación antes de que llegara aquí.

Categorías de impacto que evalúa la IA

widely_deployed_infra — kernel Linux, OpenSSL, glibc, k8s, Docker, nginx, OpenSSH.

popular_dev_tooling — Node.js, Python, Go, React, Next.js, librerías comunes de npm/pip.

common_consumer_software — Chrome, Firefox, Windows, macOS, apps móviles populares.

enterprise_saas — GitHub, GitLab, Atlassian, Salesforce, Cisco, Fortinet, Ivanti.

niche_software — CMS regionales, herramientas de hobby, librerías de poco uso.

not_relevant — firmware específico de proveedor, software descontinuado.

EPSS — EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) by FIRST.org estimates the probability that a CVE will be exploited in the next 30 days. Range is 0 to 1; very fresh CVEs typically score low until evidence accumulates.