{"id":"CVE-2016-3298","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2016-3298"],"related":[],"title":"Microsoft Internet Explorer: Microsoft Internet Explorer Messaging API Information Disclosure Vulnerability","description":"An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Internet Messaging API improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could allow the attacker to test for the presence of files on disk.\n\nCISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.","summary":"Microsoft Internet Explorer's Internet Messaging API improperly handles objects in memory, letting a web page test whether files exist on the victim's disk. The flaw is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, so attackers have used it in real attacks.","severity":"medium","cvss":6.5,"epss":0.33332,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2022-05-24T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"Microsoft Internet Explorer","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["exploited","infrastructure","internet-explorer","windows"],"not_affected_if":["no-internet-explorer-installed"],"how_to_check":null,"fix":"Apply the Microsoft updates for the affected Internet Explorer versions per vendor instructions, as CISA requires.","status":"open","published_at":"2016-10-14T02:59:13+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:52+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:15:54+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.6,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:15:54Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Apply the Microsoft updates for the affected Internet Explorer versions per vendor instructions, as CISA requires.\nunknown","reach":"internet","impact":"low","summary":"Microsoft Internet Explorer's Internet Messaging API improperly handles objects in memory, letting a web page test whether files exist on the victim's disk. The flaw is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, so attackers have used it in real attacks.","category":"infrastructure","who_cares":["windows","internet-explorer"],"confidence":0.6,"needs_auth":"no","worst_case":"Attacker learns which files exist on the victim's disk","analyst_note":"Check the Microsoft security bulletin for CVE-2016-3298 to confirm affected versions, the fixed update and how_to_check, since the sources give no version data.","how_to_check":"unknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["no-internet-explorer-installed"],"user_interaction":"yes","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"low"},"cost_usd":0.000474,"input_tokens":2869,"output_tokens":374,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":null,"analyst_note":null,"search":"'-2016':13A,16A '-3298':14A,17A 'action':109C 'allow':95C 'api':8A,33B,81C 'appli':110C 'attack':64B,70B,88C,97C 'catalog':62B 'cisa':57B,107C 'could':94C 'cve':12A,15A 'disclosur':10A,73C 'disk':51B,106C 'exist':46B,75C 'exploit':21B,60B,91C 'explor':3A,6A,25B,29B 'explorer':20A 'file':45B,104C 'flaw':53B 'handl':35B,83C 'improp':34B,82C 'inform':9A,72C 'infrastructur':22B 'instruct':114C 'internet':2A,5A,19A,24B,28B,31B,79C 'internet-explor':23B 'known':59B 'let':39B 'list':55B 'memori':38B,86C 'messag':7A,32B,80C 'microsoft':1A,4A,18A,27B,78C 'object':36B,84C 'page':42B 'per':112C 'presenc':102C 'real':69B 'requir':108C 'success':90C 'test':43B,99C 'updat':111C 'use':66B 'vendor':113C 'victim':49B 'vulner':11A,61B,74C,93C 'web':41B 'whether':44B 'window':26B","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2016-10-14T02:59:13+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-05-24","dueDate":"2022-06-14","requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N","cvss_by":"nvd@nist.gov","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2016-3298","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2016-3298","severity":null,"published_at":"2022-05-24T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:52+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T13:39:31+00:00","note":null},{"source":"epss","external_id":"CVE-2016-3298","url":"https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2016-3298","severity":null,"published_at":null,"modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:45+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:45+00:00","note":null},{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2016-3298","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-3298","severity":null,"published_at":"2016-10-14T02:59:13+00:00","modified_at":"2026-06-17T00:45:27+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"notice":"Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai"}