CVE-2009-2655
Status: ModifiedMedium (4.3)—💥 Exploit
mshtml.dll in Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and 8 on Windows XP SP3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) by calling the JavaScript findText method with a crafted Unicode string in the first argument, and only one additional argument, as demonstrated by a second argument of -1.
CVSS
- Version: 2.0
- Vector: AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
- Base score: 4.3
Exploitation probability (EPSS)
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 23%
- Percentile among all scored CVEs: 98
- Score date: 10/9/2026
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
💥 Public exploits
Exploit code or detection templates are publicly available. This is not the same as confirmed active exploitation (KEV), but it raises the risk: patch with priority.
- Published on Exploit-DB · Microsoft Internet Explorer 7/8 - findText Unicode Parsing Crash (7/24/2009)
Affected technologies (1)
CWEs
- CWE-20
References
- http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/9253
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35799
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/52249
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A12700
- http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/9253
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35799
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/52249
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A12700
Raw JSON (NVD)
Show
{
"id": "CVE-2009-2655",
"cveTags": [],
"metrics": {
"cvssMetricV2": [
{
"type": "Primary",
"source": "nvd@nist.gov",
"cvssData": {
"version": "2.0",
"baseScore": 4.3,
"accessVector": "NETWORK",
"vectorString": "AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P",
"authentication": "NONE",
"integrityImpact": "NONE",
"accessComplexity": "MEDIUM",
"availabilityImpact": "PARTIAL",
"confidentialityImpact": "NONE"
},
"acInsufInfo": false,
"impactScore": 2.9,
"baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
"obtainAllPrivilege": false,
"exploitabilityScore": 8.6,
"obtainUserPrivilege": false,
"obtainOtherPrivilege": false,
"userInteractionRequired": true
}
]
},
"affected": [
{
"source": "cve@mitre.org",
"affectedData": [
{
"vendor": "n/a",
"product": "n/a",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "n/a"
}
]
}
]
}
],
"published": "2009-08-03T14:30:00.733",
"references": [
{
"url": "http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/9253",
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35799",
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/52249",
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A12700",
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/9253",
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35799",
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/52249",
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A12700",
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
}
],
"vulnStatus": "Modified",
"weaknesses": [
{
"type": "Primary",
"source": "nvd@nist.gov",
"description": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "CWE-20"
}
]
}
],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "mshtml.dll in Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and 8 on Windows XP SP3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) by calling the JavaScript findText method with a crafted Unicode string in the first argument, and only one additional argument, as demonstrated by a second argument of -1."
},
{
"lang": "es",
"value": "mshtml.dll en Microsoft Internet Explorer v7 y v8 en Windows XP SP3 permite a atacantes remotos provocar una denegación de servicio (finalización de la aplicación) al llamar el método \"findText\" de código JavaScript con una cadena Unicode modificada en el primer argumento, y sólo un argumento adicional, como se ha comprobado con un segundo argumento con valor -1."
}
],
"lastModified": "2026-06-16T23:09:55.760",
"configurations": [
{
"nodes": [
{
"negate": false,
"cpeMatch": [
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:internet_explorer:7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"vulnerable": true,
"matchCriteriaId": "1A33FA7F-BB2A-4C66-B608-72997A2BD1DB"
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:internet_explorer:8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"vulnerable": true,
"matchCriteriaId": "A52E757F-9B41-43B4-9D67-3FEDACA71283"
}
],
"operator": "OR"
},
{
"negate": false,
"cpeMatch": [
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_xp:-:sp3:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"vulnerable": false,
"matchCriteriaId": "C9392D35-7BF5-48E9-879B-BBDE9A9E9AB9"
}
],
"operator": "OR"
}
],
"operator": "AND"
}
],
"sourceIdentifier": "cve@mitre.org"
}