CVE-2010-0249: Legacy Internet Explorer use-after-free RCE
Tech GuruQuick Answer
CVE-2010-0249 can execute code under the logged-on user's rights when an affected legacy Internet Explorer installation displays crafted web content. Microsoft issued MS10-002/KB978207 and reported limited attacks at the time. Use that history to identify exposure and investigate surviving legacy systems, then retire unsupported browser/OS combinations. The 2026 KEV addition is not the vulnerability's original disclosure date.
Fix Or Immediate Action
What to do now: Discover and discontinue affected Internet Explorer installations and retire or replace unsupported systems.
Evidence check: Vendor evidence and unresolved source limits are described below. CISA KEV catalog 2026.10.02 was checked on October 2. Preserve the distinction between vendor publication history, catalog dates and evidence from your deployment; no patch or exploit test is claimed.
Context
Scope And Impact In Plain Language
Who should check: Anyone who manages Microsoft Internet Explorer.
When this applies: Only when the exact product, version, and required configuration match the live vendor advisory. Owning the product family alone does not mean the device is vulnerable.
What could happen: A successful attacker may be able to run attacker-chosen commands or software on the affected system, subject to the access and configuration requirements in the advisory.
Not sure? Find the product name and version in the device or application, then compare them with the affected-products section of the linked vendor notice.
Status At A Glance
| Product scope | Microsoft — Internet Explorer |
|---|---|
| CVE | CVE-2010-0249 |
| TechGeeks response tier | P0 — confirm an exact match and act now |
| CISA KEV added | 2026-05-20 |
| Vendor severity | Use the browser/OS-specific CVE-2010-0249 column in MS10-002; the bulletin groups several vulnerabilities. |
| CVSS | No numerical CVSS score supplied by the checked historical bulletin. |
| Ransomware field | Unknown — this is not the same as No; CISA has not marked the field Known. |
| Forensic-triage field | No in the current CISA field; organizations should still investigate when exposure or evidence warrants it. |
| CWE | CWE-416 |
| Federal remediation date | 2026-06-03 — applies to covered federal agencies; other organizations should set a risk-based deadline. |
What Happened
Microsoft Internet Explorer Use-After-Free Vulnerability. Microsoft Internet Explorer contains an use-after-free vulnerability that could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by accessing a pointer associated with a deleted object. The impacted product could be end-of-life (EoL) and/or end-of-service (EoS). Users should discontinue product utilization. CISA's KEV listing confirms exploitation evidence, but it does not state how widespread the activity is or prove that any particular installation was compromised.
Affected Scope
Legacy Internet Explorer releases identified in Microsoft's 2010 advisory; the affected browser and operating-system combinations are now legacy assets.
Match the exact edition, hardware or virtual platform, release, patch level, enabled feature, and management exposure. A product-family name alone is not enough to establish applicability.
Steps
What To Do Now
- Confirm. Inventory every Internet Explorer asset and record its exact version, patch level, role, relevant configuration, and exposure.
- Preserve. Save UTC timestamps, off-device authentication, firewall, proxy, DNS, endpoint, application, and SIEM evidence before logs rotate or a disruptive change removes context.
- Contain. Restrict unnecessary internet and management-plane access using supported controls. Follow the live advisory: Open the live Microsoft advisory.
- Remediate. Discover and discontinue affected Internet Explorer installations and retire or replace unsupported systems.
- Validate. Verify the resulting version or patch level, service health, logging, expected access, an expected denial, and representative dependent workflows.
- Escalate. If exposure overlapped the vulnerable period or evidence is suspicious, treat the system as a potential incident and follow vendor and incident-response recovery guidance.
Fixed Releases And Mitigation
Permanent Fix
MS10-002 (KB978207) provides the historical update and browser/OS-specific applicability for CVE-2010-0249. Match those rows rather than a generic Internet Explorer product name. The archived fix and browser mitigations do not establish present-day support; replacement remains the durable action for unsupported systems.
Workaround Or Temporary Mitigation
Use the historical Microsoft advisory only for temporary containment guidance. Isolation is not a durable substitute for removing the unsupported browser and platform.
Important boundary: A workaround, access restriction, or provider-side control may reduce risk while the update is prepared, but it does not necessarily remove vulnerable code or erase an earlier compromise. Install the vendor-approved update when one is available.
Investigation And Recovery
The flaw permits remote code execution through access to a deleted object. CISA added it to KEV on 2026-05-20; review any matching legacy host as a potential incident and unsupported-asset exception.
When an attacker may have gained administrative, root, SYSTEM, identity, management-plane, or code-execution access, patching alone is not an eradication claim. Preserve evidence, scope affected accounts and downstream systems, rotate exposed credentials or certificates when justified, and rebuild from a trusted source when vendor or incident-response guidance requires it.
Notes
Exploitation Evidence
Vendor statement: MS10-002's CVE-2010-0249 FAQ reports limited exploitation attempts at publication. That is historical vendor evidence, separate from CISA's May 20, 2026 catalog addition.
CISA statement: CVE-2010-0249 was added to KEV on 2026-05-20. The ransomware field is Unknown, and the forensic-triage field is No. These are separate signals.
Validation And Boundaries
This notice does not prove that every product carrying the family name is affected, that exploitation is widespread, that a clean indicator search rules out compromise, or that a successful update restored trust. TechGeeks has not reproduced the exploit and does not replace the vendor advisory, asset inventory, vulnerability scanner, or incident-response process.
Related TechGeeks Resources
- TechGeeks Security Notice Center
- All Security Notices
- What to Do When a Device Hits CISA KEV
- Router CVE Exposure, Version, and Mitigation Checklist
- IoT Firmware Update and End-of-Support Checklist
- Live Protect and Runtime Vulnerability Shielding
References
Wrap-Up
Record whether CVE-2010-0249 applies to your environment. If it does, assign an owner, preserve the change and investigation evidence, complete the vendor action, and document the validated result.
Correction policy: If a primary source changes affected versions, remediation, exploitation status, or recovery guidance, TechGeeks will update this page and its verification date.
