BlackTreeCVE Intelligence
← Back to the CVE catalogue
Full vulnerability report · 2020
CVE-2020-0968High confidence

Microsoft Internet Explorer Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability

Microsoft · Internet Explorer

7.5HighCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Patch now

CISA confirms exploitation in the wild and lists 2022-05-03 as the remediation due date.

Patch available
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityHighOperational priority:Critical, raised one band.upgradedsince 3 Nov 2021

Evidence used

  • CISA confirms exploitation in the wild.
  • EPSS is 30.68% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
  • Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
  • Increase monitoring for the attack path and post-exploitation behaviour described in the report.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs Microsoft Internet Explorer and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: Within 3 daysRemediation target: Within 90 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2020-2436

CISA KEV mirrored by ENISA

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer, aka 'Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2020-0970.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Recorded by ENISA since 3 Nov 2021. Evidence sources: cisa_kev.
ENISA score
7.5 · CVSS 3.1
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionPatch now

CISA confirms exploitation in the wild and lists 2022-05-03 as the remediation due date.

Patch available
01

What, why and how

Microsoft Internet Explorer contains a memory corruption vulnerability due to how the Scripting Engine handles objects in memory, leading to remote code execution.

What

Microsoft Internet Explorer contains a memory corruption vulnerability due to how the Scripting Engine handles objects in memory, leading to remote code execution.

Why

A bounds error lets data be written beyond the intended memory region, potentially corrupting control data.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication after a user interaction. If successful, the issue may execute code or commands in the affected security context.

What

Microsoft Internet Explorer contains a memory corruption vulnerability due to how the Scripting Engine handles objects in memory, leading to remote code execution.

Why

A bounds error lets data be written beyond the intended memory region, potentially corrupting control data.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication after a user interaction. If successful, the issue may execute code or commands in the affected security context.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
Confirmed in the wild

CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2021-11-03. Known ransomware campaign use is recorded.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path
a network path → Out-of-bounds Write → execute code or commands in the affected security context
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
Required interaction required
Attack complexity
High: exploitation depends on specific conditions
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-787 ↗

CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write. The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACHighAttack complexity: Successful exploitation depends on specific conditions outside the attacker's direct control.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UIRequiredUser interaction: Another user must perform an action for exploitation to succeed.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.AHighAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
After compromise, an attacker may use built-in shells, scripting engines, scheduled tasks and native network utilities for discovery, persistence or movement. This is a plausible LoTL path, not evidence that it has occurred for every attack.
NetworkUnauthenticatedRemote code executionCWE-787CISA KEV
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2020-2436Known-exploited evidence recorded

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer, aka 'Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2020-0970.

Official EUVD record ↗
Canadian Centre for Cyber Security · English · AV20-104Microsoft security advisory – April 2020 monthly rollup

On 14 April 2020 Microsoft released security updates to address multiple vulnerabilities affecting some of its products. This rollup provides fixes for 19 critical vulnerabilities.Of note are a pair of previously reported critical remote code execution vulnerabilities found in the Adobe Type Manager Library component of Microsoft Windows operating systems. These vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2020-0938 and CVE-2020-1020, have been patched as part of this rollup. Also of note is a critical remote code execution vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2020-0968, which exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. Successful exploitation could allow an actor to take control of an affected system.

Official advisory ↗
Cyber Security Agency of Singapore · English · CSA-SB-20200422Security Bulletin 22 Apr 2020

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore included this CVE in its official Security Bulletin 22 Apr 2020, published on 22 April 2020. Open the linked bulletin for the product, severity and reference information published in that issue.

Official advisory ↗
CERT-FR · French · CERTFR-2020-AVI-221Multiples vulnérabilités dans Microsoft IE

De multiples vulnérabilités ont été corrigées dans Microsoft IE . Elles permettent à un attaquant de provoquer une exécution de code à distance.

Official advisory ↗
JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2020-004263Microsoft Edge および ChakraCore におけるリモートでコードを実行される脆弱性

Microsoft Edge および ChakraCore には、Chakra スクリプトエンジンがメモリ内のオブジェクトを処理する方法に不備があるため、リモートでコードを実行される脆弱性が存在します。 ベンダは、本脆弱性を「スクリプト エンジンのメモリ破損の脆弱性」として公開しています。 本脆弱性は、CVE-2020-0968 とは異なる脆弱性です。

Official advisory ↗
JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2020-004261Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 および 11 におけるリモートでコードを実行される脆弱性

Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 および 11 には、スクリプトエンジンがメモリ内のオブジェクトを処理する方法に不備があるため、リモートでコードを実行される脆弱性が存在します。 ベンダは、本脆弱性を「スクリプト エンジンのメモリ破損の脆弱性」として公開しています。 本脆弱性は、CVE-2020-0970 とは異なる脆弱性です。

Official advisory ↗
KISA KrCERT/CC · Korean · KNVD-5127MS 4월 보안 위협에 따른 정기 보안 업데이트 권고

20-0956, CVE-2020-0958, CVE-2020-1000, CVE-2020-1003, CVE-2020-1004, CVE-2020-1009, CVE-2020-1011, CVE-2020-1014, CVE-2020-1015, CVE-2020-1027, CVE-2020-1094) - 서비스 거부 취약점(CVE-2020-0993) - 정보노출 취약점(CVE-2020-0821, CVE-2020-0945, CVE-2020-0946, CVE-2020-0952, CVE-2020-0955, CVE-2020-0962, CVE-2020-0982, CVE-2020-0987, CVE-2020-1005, CVE-2020-1007, CVE-2020-1016) o 영향 : 원격코드실행 o 중요도 : 긴급 o 관련 KB번호 - 4550917, 4550961, 4550970, 4550971 ##### □ 해결책 o 영향 받는 소프트웨어를 이용하는 경우 마이크로소프트사의 보안 패치 적용 4. Internet Explorer 보안 업데이트 ##### □ 설명 o 공격자가 특수하게 제작된 악성 응용 프로그램을 실행할 경우, 원격코드실행을 허용하는 취약점 o 관련취약점 : - 원격코드실행 취약점(CVE-2020-0895, CVE-2020-0966, CVE-2020-0967, CVE-2020-0968) o 영향 : 원격코드실행 o 중요도 : 긴급 o 관련 KB번호 - 4549949, 4549951, 4550905, 4550917, 4550922, 4550927, 4550929, 4550930, 4550961, 4550964 ##### □ 해결책 o 영향 받는 소프트웨어를 이용하는 경우 마이크로소프트사의 보안 패치 적용 5. Microsoft Office 관련 소프트웨어 보안 업데이트 ##### □ 설명 o 공격자가 특수하게 제작된 악성 응용 프로그램을 실행할 경우, 원격코드실행을 허용하는 취약점 o 관련취약점 : - 원격코드실행 취약점(CVE-2020-0760, CVE-2020-0906, CVE-2020-0931, CVE-2020-0961, CVE-2020-0979, CVE-2020-0980, CVE-2020-0991) - 스푸핑 취약점(CVE-2020-0954) o 영향 : 원격코드실행 o 중요도 : 중요 o 관련 KB번호 - 2553306, 3128012, 3203462, 4011104, 4032216, 4462153, 4462210, 4462225, 4464527, 4464544, 4475609, 4484117, 4484125, 4484126, 4484132, 4484167, 4484214, 4484226, 4484229, 448423

Official advisory ↗
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Patch available
Affected
Fixed
An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
Action
Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 15 Apr 2020 · Last source change 21 Oct 2025, 23:35 UTC · CWE-787 · Out-of-bounds Write

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceNIST NVD
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2020-2436
Product sourceCISA KEV
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCISA ADP
NVD statusNVD enriched

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2; Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2; Windows 10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems; Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems; Windows 10 Version 1803 for ARM64-based Systems; Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems; Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems; Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems · Fixed: An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
    After
    Internet Explorer 9: Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2, Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2; Internet Explorer 11: Windows 10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems, Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 1803 for ARM64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems, Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems, Windows Server 2019, Windows 10 Version 1709 for 32-bit Systems, Windows 10 Version 1709 for x64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 1709 for ARM64-based Systems, Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems, Windows 10 for x64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems, Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems, Windows Server 2016, Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1, Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1, Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems, Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2012 R2; Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1909 for 32-bit Systems: unspecified; Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems: unspecified; Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1909 for ARM64-based Systems: unspecified; Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1903 for 32-bit Systems: unspecified; Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1903 for x64-based Systems: unspecified; Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1903 for ARM64-based Systems: unspecified; Internet Explorer 11 on Windows Server 2012: unspecified · Fixed: An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
    CNA ↗
  2. CISA KEV stateCISA KEV now confirms exploitation in the wild.
    Before
    listed in CISA KEV since 2021-11-03
    After
    listed in CISA KEV since 2021-11-03
    CISA KEV ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
Added to CISA KEV
Fixed release or patch reference recorded
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2020-2436↗CISA KEV record↗CVE authority or vendor reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2020-0968 · cve.blacktree.nl