Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2019-0989 is a browser scripting-engine flaw in Microsoft Edge using EdgeHTML. A user who visits malicious or compromised web content could have code run under their Windows account. Business impact depends heavily on whether legacy EdgeHTML or ChakraCore remains in use and whether users browse with administrator rights.
Executive priority
Treat this as a legacy-browser exposure issue, not a broad modern-browser emergency. Prioritize patch verification and removal of EdgeHTML-era dependencies, especially on privileged-user workstations. No active exploitation is cited in the provided sources.
Technical view
The issue is memory corruption in Chakra object handling. Successful exploitation can allow remote code execution in the current user's context through crafted web content. The CVSS 3.1 score is 4.2 with network attack vector, high complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, and low confidentiality and integrity impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in legacy environments that still use Microsoft Edge EdgeHTML-based or ChakraCore. The source bundle does not list Chromium-based Microsoft Edge as affected. Risk is higher on systems where users browse untrusted sites, view user-generated content or ads, or operate with elevated rights.
Exploitation context
Microsoft describes a web-based attack where an attacker hosts crafted content or abuses compromised sites, user-provided content, or advertisements. User interaction is required. The bundle marks KEV as false and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation; the CVSS temporal vector indicates proof-of-concept maturity.
Researcher notes
The public bundle names Microsoft Edge EdgeHTML-based and ChakraCore, but does not provide detailed version ranges, patch KBs, exploit samples, or affected platform mapping. Validation should stay focused on product presence, update status, and user-right context.
Mitigation direction
- Apply the Microsoft security update referenced by MSRC for affected systems.
- Check MSRC guidance for the exact supported update mapping.
- Reduce or eliminate use of EdgeHTML-based Microsoft Edge where possible.
- Limit administrator rights for users who browse the web.
- Review any ChakraCore dependency against vendor guidance.
Validation and detection
- Inventory systems using Microsoft Edge EdgeHTML-based or ChakraCore.
- Verify the relevant Microsoft security update is installed.
- Confirm users do not routinely browse with administrator rights.
- Check whether legacy EdgeHTML usage is still operationally required.
- Document unsupported or unpatched systems for risk acceptance or remediation.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
Execution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2019-0989 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 4.2 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:C
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:C1.62.5Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
4.2MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:C
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption VulnerabilityCVE reference · vendor-advisory
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2019-0989CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC, x_transferred
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
