Internet ExplorerApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2010-3962

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2010-11-05

Patch available

A vendor patch is available. No clean upgrade release — apply the published patch.

See remediation →

100/100

Remediation priority · Urgent

In the wild High EPSS Public exploit Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

Official description

NVD · unedited

Use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 7, and 8 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via vectors related to Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) token sequences and the clip attribute, aka an "invalid flag reference" issue or "Uninitialized Memory Corruption Vulnerability," as exploited in the wild in November 2010.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 7, and 8 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via manipulated Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) token sequences involving the clip attribute, causing an invalid flag reference that leads to uninitialized memory corruption.

MitigationApply Microsoft security update MS10-090 (or subsequent cumulative security updates that address this CVE) to all affected Internet Explorer installations; alternatively, disable Active Scripting and HTML rendering in IE as an interim workaround until patching is feasible.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

Internet ExplorerApplication

Affected:= 6= 7= 8

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: High
Privileges: None
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

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

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

Check Internet Explorer version number

Open Internet Explorer, click Help in the menu bar, then select About Internet Explorer. Alternatively, open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer to find the Version string value.

Affected if The version displayed is 6.0, 7.0, or 8.0 (any sub-version like 8.0.6001)
Confirm Windows version supports newer IE

Run winver.exe to identify the Windows version. IE 6/7/8 shipped with Windows XP (IE6/7/8), Windows Vista (IE7/8), and Windows 7 (IE8).

Affected if Running Windows XP, Vista, or 7 with the corresponding IE version 6, 7, or 8 still installed
Verify if MS10-090 patch is applied

Open Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates. Search for security update KB2416400 (MS10-090). Alternatively, check the Internet Explorer version again after applying updates - patched versions will show higher build numbers.

Affected if The security update KB2416400 is NOT installed and IE version remains at 6.0, 7.0, or 8.0
Check for DEP/ASLR system-wide status

Run cmd.exe and execute 'wmic OS Get DataExecutionPrevention_Available, DataExecutionPrevention_SupportPolicy' to query DEP status. For ASLR, check registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management for EnableLowVaAccess.

Affected if DEP is set to Disabled (value 0) and ASLR is not enforced system-wide

A user is affected if they are running Internet Explorer version 6, 7, or 8 without the MS10-090 security update and without DEP/ASLR system mitigations enabled, and they browse untrusted web content.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Patch available Apply the vendor patch

Vendor patch www.microsoft.com →

Interim mitigation

Apply Microsoft security update MS10-090 (or subsequent cumulative security updates that address this CVE) to all affected Internet Explorer installations; alternatively, disable Active Scripting and HTML rendering in IE as an interim workaround until patching is feasible.

Recommended fix High confidence

Microsoft Edge (or Internet Explorer 9/10/11 if legacy application support is required - though IE 6-8 are EOL)

1. Discontinue use of Internet Explorer 6, 7, and 8 as they are no longer supported and cannot receive security updates.
2. Upgrade to a supported browser: Microsoft Edge (the modern replacement for Internet Explorer) or an alternative modern browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari.
3. For enterprise environments requiring IE compatibility mode for legacy applications, ensure IE is only used in protected mode and only for essential legacy systems.
4. Deploy Microsoft Edge as the primary browser for all users.
5. Apply the original Microsoft patch (MS10-090, KB2403021) if still running legacy systems that cannot be upgraded - note this patch is only applicable to the affected versions and may not be available for download.

Caveat Upgrading from IE 6/7/8 to Edge or newer browsers may break compatibility with legacy web applications designed specifically for older IE versions; test critical business applications before deployment.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Internet Explorer Exploited in the wild — priority engagement

Consultation3.0 h
Implementation2.0 h
Testing4.0 h
Review / QA2.0 h

11.0 hours of engineering $1,920

Get it fixed fast

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,072.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-3962 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

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References

Primary sources

www.microsoft.comPatch / commit
www.exploit-db.comProof of Concept
blogs.technet.comVendor Advisory
secunia.comBroken LinkVendor Advisory
www.vupen.comBroken LinkVendor Advisory
www.microsoft.comPatchVendor Advisory
docs.microsoft.comPatchVendor Advisory
www.exploit-db.comThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
www.exploit-db.comThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
www.kb.cert.orgThird Party AdvisoryUS Government Resource
www.securityfocus.comBroken LinkThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
www.securitytracker.comBroken LinkThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
www.us-cert.govThird Party AdvisoryUS Government Resource
exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.comThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
www.symantec.comNot Applicable
oval.cisecurity.orgTool Signature
www.cisa.govUS Government Resource
nvd.nist.govNVD record

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2010-3962 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2010-3962?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data

At a glance

Exploited in the wildOn CISA’s known-exploited list · agencies must fix by 2025-10-27

A fix existsA vendor remedy is published

Severity 8.1 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 96.0%

Affects: Internet Explorer

Remediation

Being exploited — close it fast

Fix this in Internet Explorer 11 hrs · Low

Typical engagement from $1,920

Get it fixed fast See the full breakdown ↓

This CVE is on CISA’s actively-exploited list, so the clock is real — a vetted specialist can deliver a reviewed fix for your staging environment quickly.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

Check your environment

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References