How severe is CVE-2009-1531?

CVE-2009-1531 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.

Is CVE-2009-1531 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 35% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2009-1531?

CVE-2009-1531 affects Microsoft Internet Explorer. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2009-1531?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2009-1531 published?

CVE-2009-1531 was published on 2009-06-10 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2009-1531

CVE-2009-1531 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 35% places it in the 98th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-399.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 2.0 base score 9.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 35% (98th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-399
Affected product: Microsoft Internet Explorer
Published: 2009-06-10
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP SP2 and SP3; 7 for Server 2003 SP2; 7 for Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2; and 7 for Server 2008 SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via frequent calls to the getElementsByTagName function combined with the creation of an object during reordering of elements, followed by an onreadystatechange event, which triggers an access of an object that (1) was not properly initialized or (2) is deleted, aka "HTML Object Memory Corruption Vulnerability."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2009-1531?: Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP SP2 and SP3; 7 for Server 2003 SP2; 7 for Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2; and 7 for Server 2008 SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via frequent calls to the getElementsByTagName function combined with the creation of an object during reordering of elements, followed by an onreadystatechange event, which triggers an access of an object that (1) was not properly initialized or (2) is deleted, aka "HTML Object Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
How severe is CVE-2009-1531?: CVE-2009-1531 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2009-1531 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 35% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2009-1531?: CVE-2009-1531 affects Microsoft Internet Explorer. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2009-1531?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2009-1531 published?: CVE-2009-1531 was published on 2009-06-10 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:internet_explorer:7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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