Exploit/DoS in MS Internet Explorer 6.0 (OBJECT Tag)

Ryan Emerle <securityFocus@emerle.net> · 16 Apr 2003 19:55:50 -0000

*Description*
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 (other versions not tested) is vulnerable 
to a DoS when specially crafted html is present on a page.  The 
vulnerability is in the processing of the OBJECT tag.

*Tested*
OS: Windows 2000 Pro SP3 (fully up-to-date)
IE: Internet Explorer 6.0.2800.1160 SP1

*Ramifications*
When the specially crafted HTML is present in a page, Internet Explorer 
will forcefully terminate all open sessions.  The client machine is 
otherwise unharmed. Further ramifications have not been investigated.

*Proof of Concept*
The following HTML code will cause the above version of Internet Explorer 
to forcefully terminate:

&lt;object id="test"
       data="#"
       width="100%" height="100%" 
       type="text/x-scriptlet" 
       VIEWASTEXT>&lt;/object&gt;

--
Ryan Emerle, BSCS
Lead Systems Developer
Interactive Network Systems, Inc.
http://www.ins-business.com