How severe is CVE-2010-0249?

CVE-2010-0249 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2010-0249 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2010-0249 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2026-05-20, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.

What products are affected by CVE-2010-0249?

CVE-2010-0249 primarily affects Microsoft Internet Explorer. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2010-0249?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.

Does CVE-2010-0249 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2010-0249 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2010-0280. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2026-05-20).

When was CVE-2010-0249 published?

CVE-2010-0249 was published on 2010-01-15 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2010-0249

CVE-2010-0249 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2026-05-20). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-416.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 9.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 92% (100th percentile)
Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2026-05-20)
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2010-0280
EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2026-05-20)
Weakness: CWE-416
Affected product: Microsoft Internet Explorer
Published: 2010-01-15
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 6 SP1, 7, and 8 on Windows 2000 SP4; Windows XP SP2 and SP3; Windows Server 2003 SP2; Windows Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2; Windows Server 2008 Gold, SP2, and R2; and Windows 7 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by accessing a pointer associated with a deleted object, related to incorrectly initialized memory and improper handling of objects in memory, as exploited in the wild in December 2009 and January 2010 during Operation Aurora, aka "HTML Object Memory Corruption Vulnerability."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2010-0249?: Use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 6 SP1, 7, and 8 on Windows 2000 SP4; Windows XP SP2 and SP3; Windows Server 2003 SP2; Windows Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2; Windows Server 2008 Gold, SP2, and R2; and Windows 7 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by accessing a pointer associated with a deleted object, related to incorrectly initialized memory and improper handling of objects in memory, as exploited in the wild in December 2009 and January 2010 during Operation Aurora, aka "HTML Object Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
How severe is CVE-2010-0249?: CVE-2010-0249 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2010-0249 being actively exploited?: Yes. CVE-2010-0249 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2026-05-20, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2010-0249?: CVE-2010-0249 primarily affects Microsoft Internet Explorer. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2010-0249?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
Does CVE-2010-0249 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2010-0249 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2010-0280. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2026-05-20).
When was CVE-2010-0249 published?: CVE-2010-0249 was published on 2010-01-15 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:internet_explorer:5.0.1:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:internet_explorer:6:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:internet_explorer:6:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:internet_explorer:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:internet_explorer:8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Microsoft Internet Explorer

CVE-2014-1764 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 through 11 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code and bypass a sandbox…
CVE-2014-1763 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 through 11 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary…
CVE-2010-1118 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in Internet Explorer 8 on Microsoft Windows 7 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary…
CVE-2009-1918 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 SP4 and 6 SP1; Internet Explorer 6 for Windows XP SP2 and SP3 and Server 2003 SP2; and…
CVE-2009-1043 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary…
CVE-2007-3341 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in the FTP implementation in Microsoft Internet Explorer allows remote attackers to "see a…

All CVEs affecting Microsoft Internet Explorer →

Other CWE-416 (Use After Free) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-13782 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Use after free in Browser in Google Chrome prior to 150.0.7871.47 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the…
CVE-2026-4725 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to use-after-free in the Graphics: Canvas2D component. This vulnerability was fixed in Firefox 149…
CVE-2026-4688 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to use-after-free in the Disability Access APIs component. This vulnerability was fixed in Firefox…
CVE-2025-24085 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3,…
CVE-2024-43102 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Concurrent removals of certain anonymous shared memory mappings by using the UMTX_SHM_DESTROY sub-request of…
CVE-2021-32495 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Radare2 has a use-after-free vulnerability in pyc parser's get_none_object function. Attacker can read freed memory…

Browse all CWE-416 (Use After Free) vulnerabilities →