Remote code execution via JScript use-after-free
Published Apr 15, 2020 · Updated Oct 21, 2025
Memory corruption in Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 and 11 allows remote attackers to execute code when a user opens crafted content. Published exploit analysis identifies the legacy JScript engine as the locus: CScriptRuntime::Run leaves a VAR::GetValue result outside garbage-collector tracking, letting a second attacker-controlled toString callback free the variant before it is reused. Exploitation runs code with the current user's rights; administrative browser sessions expose the full system.
Summary
What happened
Memory corruption in Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 and 11 allows remote attackers to execute code when a user opens crafted content. Published exploit analysis identifies the legacy JScript engine as the locus: CScriptRuntime::Run leaves a VAR::GetValue result outside garbage-collector tracking, letting a second attacker-controlled toString callback free the variant before it is reused. Exploitation runs code with the current user's rights; administrative browser sessions expose the full system.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-0968
- Published
- Apr 15, 2020
- Updated
- Oct 21, 2025
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Internet Explorer 11
- Classifications
- CWE-787, T1203, T1189
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 15, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 21, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=unspecified
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 for x64-based Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 Version 1709 for 32-bit Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 Version 1709 for ARM64-based Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 Version 1709 for x64-based Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 Version 1803 for ARM64-based Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
- Affected versionversion=Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
- Affected versionversion=Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems
- Affected versionversion=Windows RT 8.1
- Affected versionversion=Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
- Affected versionversion=Windows Server 2012 R2
- Affected versionversion=Windows Server 2016
- Affected versionversion=Windows Server 2019
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Hunter Shadow Labs minimal JScript proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entryknown exploited catalog
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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