CVE-2018-8653: Internet Explorer scripting engine memory corruption RCE

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 17 September 2026. Confidence: high.

high priorityIt is a remotely reachable memory-corruption RCE in a widely deployed browser that CISA lists as exploited in the wild, though exploitation requires user interaction and the flaw is patched.

What it is

Internet Explorer's scripting engine mishandles objects in memory, producing an out-of-bounds write (CWE-787) that can be turned into remote code execution. It affects Internet Explorer 9, 10 and 11, and Microsoft patched it in December 2018. Because IE was widely deployed and the flaw is remotely reachable, it remains a meaningful risk on unpatched or legacy systems.

Impact

An attacker who successfully triggers the corruption can execute arbitrary code in the context of the affected IE process, giving them the user's privileges on the host. That can lead to full system compromise if the user has administrative rights.

Attack surface

The vulnerability is reached over the network (AV:N) through content rendered by Internet Explorer's scripting engine, typically a malicious or compromised web page. No authentication is required (PR:N), but exploitation requires user interaction (UI:R), such as visiting a crafted page.

Exploitation

CVE-2018-8653 is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2021-11-03), indicating exploitation in the wild, and EPSS gives a 30-day probability of about 0.296 (98th percentile). No ransomware campaign use is recorded.

What to do

• Apply the Microsoft security update referenced in the vendor advisory (portal.msrc.microsoft.com) to all affected Internet Explorer versions.
• Retire or disable Internet Explorer where possible and move users to a supported browser.
• Enforce IE security zones and Enhanced Protected Mode, and block untrusted ActiveX and script content.
• Restrict administrative rights so a successful exploit runs with limited privileges.
• Track CISA KEV remediation due dates and verify patching on legacy endpoints.

Detection

• Monitor for IE (iexplore.exe) crashing or spawning unexpected child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe or script hosts.
• Alert on suspicious outbound network activity originating from iexplore.exe.
• Hunt for known exploit-delivery patterns in web proxy or IDS logs targeting IE scripting engine content.
• Audit endpoints still running Internet Explorer 9, 10 or 11 and confirm patch status.

This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.