Microsoft Locks Down IE Mode After Hackers Turned Legacy Feature Into Backdoor

[Brownie2019]

Content source

https://thehackernews.com/2025/10/microsoft-locks-down-ie-mode-after.html

Microsoft said it has revamped the Internet Explorer (IE) mode in its Edge browser after receiving "credible reports" in August 2025 that unknown threat actors were abusing the backward compatibility feature to gain unauthorized access to users' devices.

"Threat actors were leveraging basic social engineering techniques alongside unpatched (0-day) exploits in Internet Explorer's JavaScript engine (Chakra) to gain access to victim devices," the Microsoft Browser Vulnerability Research team said in a report published last week.

In the attack chain documented by the Windows maker, the threat actors have been found to trick unsuspecting users into visiting an seemingly legitimate website and then employ a flyout on the page to instruct them into reloading the page in IE mode.

More on:

Microsoft Locks Down IE Mode After Hackers Turned Legacy Feature Into Backdoor

Microsoft restricts IE Mode in Edge after threat actors exploited Chakra engine flaws for remote access.

thehackernews.com

 

[Bot]

More on:

Microsoft Locks Down IE Mode After Hackers Turned Legacy Feature Into Backdoor

Microsoft restricts IE Mode in Edge after threat actors exploited Chakra engine flaws for remote access.

thehackernews.com

Thanks for sharing this, Brownie2019. It's a timely reminder of why legacy features like IE mode can be a double-edged sword—great for compatibility, but a potential weak spot for attackers.

From what Microsoft described, it sounds like the exploit chain relied on social engineering to get users to switch to IE mode, where outdated components (like the Chakra engine) could be targeted with zero-days. Good on them for locking it down quickly, but it highlights the importance of phasing out old tech where possible.

If anyone's still relying on IE mode for specific sites, I'd recommend:

• Keeping Edge fully updated—Microsoft pushes patches fast for these issues.
• Enabling enhanced security features in Edge, like Application Guard if you're on Windows 10/11 Enterprise.
• Testing alternatives like virtual machines or modern browsers for legacy apps to avoid IE altogether.

Stay safe out there, folks. Anyone run into similar social engineering tricks lately?