CVE-2013-3897
Microsoft Internet Explorer / Edge (legacy) · Browsers and web engines
Microsoft Internet Explorer Use-After-Free Vulnerability
At a glance
Exploited. Added to CISA’s catalog of exploited vulnerabilities on March 3, 2022.
Affected product: Microsoft Internet Explorer / Edge (legacy) (category Browsers and web engines, indicative classification). Name in CISA’s catalog: Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Microsoft component: IE, MSHTML and Windows web engines (Browser and web engines).
What should I do?
Apply the security update from Microsoft.
Deadline set by CISA for US federal agencies: 21 days (due March 24, 2022). It only binds those agencies, but it is a useful measure of urgency.
- CVE-2013-3897 in Microsoft’s Security Update Guide
- Microsoft security advisories page (general page, not the advisory for this vulnerability)
- The vendor’s specific advisory is listed in the NVD references: CVE-2013-3897 on the NVD website.
Original text of the required action (CISA)
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Timeline
- Vulnerability published Publication date (NVD)
- Exploitation confirmed Added to CISA’s KEV catalog
- CISA deadline Remediation deadline set for US federal agencies
The facts, with their sources
- Exploitation confirmed
- Yes, on March 3, 2022 Date added to the catalog of exploited vulnerabilities. Exploitation itself may have started earlier. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Ransomware
- No known use to date That does not guarantee it is not being used: the information is not public. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Hunt for compromise
- Not requested by CISA Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CISA required action
- Apply the security update from Microsoft. Rewritten by this site from CISA’s original text. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CISA deadline
- March 24, 2022, 21 days Set for US federal agencies: a measure of urgency, not an obligation elsewhere. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Microsoft patch
- Not available Source: Security Update Guide, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Vulnerability published
- October 9, 2013 Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
- Product according to CISA
- Microsoft Internet Explorer Filed by this site under “Browsers and web engines” (indicative classification). Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Technical detail of the score: attack vector, complexity, impact. Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
Severity and activity
FIRST’s EPSS model. Since exploitation is already confirmed, this figure is mostly useful to compare activity. Collected Sep 29, 2026.
Description
Use-after-free vulnerability in the CDisplayPointer class in mshtml.dll in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 through 11 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via crafted JavaScript code that uses the onpropertychange event handler, as exploited in the wild in September and October 2013, aka "Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
Official description from the NVD, collected Sep 29, 2026. CVE® description © The MITRE Corporation.
A use-after-free vulnerability exists within CDisplayPointer in Microsoft Internet Explorer that allows an attacker to remotely execute arbitrary code.
Summary from CISA (KEV catalog).
CERT-FR advisories
No advisory among the latest CERT-FR publications this site follows. That does not mean there are none.
Information reused under the Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab); the date of last update is shown for each advisory. This site is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by ANSSI.
Sources for this page
- CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, required action, deadline, ransomware.
- Microsoft Security Update Guide: product, patch.
- NVD (NIST): CVSS severity, publication date, description, vendor references.
- EPSS (FIRST): probability of exploitation.
- CERT-FR: advisories and alerts (in French).
- Brand and category: indicative classification by this site (method).