CVE-2020-1380: Microsoft Internet Explorer Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name

Microsoft Internet Explorer Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability

Vendor

Microsoft

Product

Internet Explorer

Added to the catalog

2021-11-03

Due date for US federal agencies

2022-05-03

Weaknesses

CWE-787

Catalog version

2026.10.30

Microsoft Internet Explorer contains a memory corruption vulnerability which can allow for remote code execution in the context of the current user.

Required action (CISA)

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Ransomware use: CISA does not mark known use of this vulnerability in ransomware campaigns.

Links in CISA's notes

• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-1380

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status

Analyzed

Published

2020-08-17T19:15:14.553

Last modified

2026-06-17T03:01:15.727

Weaknesses

CWE-787

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit the vulnerability through Internet Explorer and then convince a user to view the website. An attacker could also embed an ActiveX control marked "safe for initialization" in an application or Microsoft Office document that hosts the IE rendering engine. The attacker could also take advantage of compromised websites and websites that accept or host user-provided content or advertisements. These websites could contain specially crafted content that could exploit the vulnerability.
The security update addresses the vulnerability by modifying how the scripting engine handles objects in memory.

References

• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163056/Internet-Explorer-jscript9.dll-Memory-Corruption.html (Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-1380 (Patch, Vendor Advisory)
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163056/Internet-Explorer-jscript9.dll-Memory-Corruption.html (Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-1380 (Patch, Vendor Advisory)
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-1380 (US Government Resource)

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:51.476Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2020-1380

CVE record

Title (CNA)

Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability

Assigner

microsoft

State

PUBLISHED

Published

2020-08-17T19:13:00.000Z

Updated

2025-10-21T23:35:37.973Z

Problem types

Remote Code Execution

References

• https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-1380
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163056/Internet-Explorer-jscript9.dll-Memory-Corruption.html

Read on 2026-11-03T01:03:25.907Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2020/1xxx/CVE-2020-1380.json

Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)

D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.

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