---
id: "CVE-2010-0249"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2010-0249"]
title: "Use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 6 SP1, 7, and 8 on Windows 2000 SP4; Windows XP SP2\u2026"
severity: "critical"
cvss: 9.3
epss: null
exploited: true
status: "open"
category: "other"
products: [{"name": "Microsoft Internet Explorer", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "microsoft internet explorer", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 5.0.1", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "microsoft internet explorer", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 6", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "microsoft internet explorer", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 7.0", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "microsoft internet explorer", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 8", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: ["vendor"]
tags: ["browsing-users", "exploited", "internet-explorer", "other", "windows"]
not_affected_if: ["internet-explorer-patched", "no-internet-explorer-installed"]
published_at: "2010-01-15T17:30:00+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T23:44:51+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "kev", "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2010-0249", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"}, {"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-0249", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T23:44:51+00:00"}]
---

# Use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 6 SP1, 7, and 8 on Windows 2000 SP4; Windows XP SP2…

Microsoft Internet Explorer has a use-after-free bug where it keeps using a pointer to an object it already deleted. A remote attacker who gets a user to load a malicious page can run arbitrary code on the victim's machine.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- vendor:Microsoft Internet Explorer affected ? fixed ?
- vendor:microsoft internet explorer affected = 5.0.1 fixed ?
- vendor:microsoft internet explorer affected = 6 fixed ?
- vendor:microsoft internet explorer affected = 7.0 fixed ?
- vendor:microsoft internet explorer affected = 8 fixed ?

## How to check

Check whether any machine still runs Internet Explorer with a version affected by CVE-2010-0249 (the sources do not list exact versions).

## Fix

Remove Internet Explorer or move to a supported browser; the sources say to discontinue use of the product if vendor mitigations are unavailable.
Apply the vendor mitigations per Microsoft's instructions if the product must stay in use (exact patch IDs unknown).

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00 kev https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2010-0249
- 2026-10-23T23:44:51+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-0249

## From the sources

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."

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_