Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 through 8 does not properly handle objects in memory, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code…

published 2011-10-12 15 y ago modified 2026-06-16 4 mo ago also EUVD-2011-1990

cvss: 9.3; version 2.0, NVD
cisa kev: Not listed; not in CISA's catalog
epss: 58.8%; EPSS 58.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 99.1%
public exploits: 2; Metasploit, Exploit-DB

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 through 8 does not properly handle objects in memory, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by accessing a deleted object, aka "Option Element Remote Code Execution Vulnerability."

Patch / fix

links 1

docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2011/ms11-081 advisory

Timeline

2011-10-12 Published
2012-10-11 First public exploit (Metasploit exploit/windows/browser/ms11_081_option)

Exploit prediction

58.85% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99.1% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).

Exploits and checks

Metasploit exploit/windows/browser/ms11_081_option MS11-081 Microsoft Internet Explorer Option Element Use-After-Free metasploit exploit, normal rank, 2012-10-11
EDB-24020 Microsoft Internet Explorer - Option Element Use-After-Free (MS11-081) (Metasploit) remote, 2013-01-10

CVSS scores

assigned by	version	score	vector
NVD	2.0	9.3	AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

References

docs.microsoft.com /en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2011/ms11-081
vendor-advisory, patch
oval.cisecurity.org /repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A12896
vdb-entry, signature, third-party-advisory

Sources

CVE List CVE-2011-1996
NVD CVE-2011-1996

Fencer Intel keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

Summary