dbcve.org
Internet ExplorerApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2014-0271

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2014-02-12
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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.

NVD · unedited
The VBScript engine in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 through 11, and VBScript 5.6 through 5.8, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted web site, aka "VBScript Memory Corruption Vulnerability."

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.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

A memory corruption vulnerability in the VBScript engine affects Internet Explorer versions 6 through 11 and VBScript versions 5.6 through 5.8. Attackers can trigger the vulnerability through a crafted website, leading to arbitrary code execution or denial of service.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for affected Internet Explorer and VBScript versions, or disable VBScript execution in Internet Explorer as a temporary workaround.

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

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.

NVD · CPE data
Internet ExplorerApplication
Affected:= 6= 7= 8= 9= 10= 11
VbscriptApplication
Affected:= 5.6= 5.7= 5.8

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.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

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.

dbcve checks

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

  1. Check Internet Explorer version
    Open Internet Explorer, click Help > About Internet Explorer, or check the version value in the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Version
    Affected if The version is 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11
  2. Check VBScript engine version
    Check the version of vbscript.dll in the system32 folder (right-click > Properties > Details), or query the file version using PowerShell: (Get-Item 'C:\Windows\System32\vbscript.dll').VersionInfo.FileVersion
    Affected if The version is 5.6, 5.7, or 5.8
  3. Verify VBScript execution is enabled in Internet Explorer
    Open Internet Explorer > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level > Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting is enabled, and check that VBScript is not disabled under the Scripting section. Alternatively, check the registry key at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\0\140C (values 0 or 3 indicate VBScript may be allowed depending on zone settings)
    Affected if VBScript execution is permitted in any IE security zone that can load untrusted content (such as the Internet zone)

Your environment is affected if either Internet Explorer version 6-11 or VBScript version 5.6-5.8 is installed AND VBScript execution remains enabled in Internet Explorer for zones that may load untrusted websites.

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

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Microsoft security updates for affected Internet Explorer and VBScript versions, or disable VBScript execution in Internet Explorer as a temporary workaround.

Recommended fix High confidence

Apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS14-012 (March 2014) to obtain the fixed VBScript version; for long-term security, migrate to Internet Explorer 11 (with extended support) or Microsoft Edge

  1. Apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS14-012, which addresses this VBScript memory corruption vulnerability in Internet Explorer and VBScript.
  2. Ensure all affected systems receive the March 2014 cumulative security update for Internet Explorer.
  3. After applying the patch, verify that Internet Explorer and VBScript versions have been updated to include the security fix.
  4. Consider migrating to a newer version of Internet Explorer or an alternative modern browser to ensure continued security support.
Caveat The MS14-012 security patch has no expected breaking changes as it addresses the vulnerability without altering VBScript functionality

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

Fix this in Internet Explorer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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Scan for this in your stack

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

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-0271 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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