Internet Explorer in 2025: The Aftermath, Lingering Problems, and Enterprise Risks
Though Internet Explorer was officially retired in 2022, its legacy continues to haunt users and organizations in 2025. This article explores the paradox of a browser that refuses to disappear—highlighting the security, compatibility, and compliance risks that persist long after its end of life.
Three years after its official retirement, Internet Explorer (IE) remains a stubborn presence in the digital landscape. For many organizations, the browser's legacy is a double-edged sword—necessary for legacy app compatibility, but fraught with security and compliance risks.
Security risks and exploits in retired software are a growing concern. CVE-2024-38112, a high-severity MHTML spoofing flaw, allowed attackers to force IE to open malicious .url files and install malware, despite Microsoft ending support in 2022. IE11's retirement left legacy systems exposed to unpatched vulnerabilities, as Microsoft no longer provides updates or technical support.
Compatibility and performance issues continue to plague those who haven't fully migrated. Users report persistent freezing and slowdowns, with basic tasks taking nearly a minute and memory leaks requiring frequent reboots. IE's compatibility view breaks modern web apps, forcing developers to use workarounds just to maintain functionality.
Enterprise challenges with IE retirement are significant. Organizations face compatibility gaps in Edge's IE mode, risking workflow disruptions for legacy ActiveX/Java-dependent apps. Edge's abrupt redirection of IE traffic disrupted enterprise testing cycles, forcing rushed deployments of untested configurations.
Post-retirement risks and workarounds are everywhere. A surprising number of enterprises still rely on IE mode for legacy apps, exposing themselves to unpatched vulnerabilities and compliance risks. Edge's IE mode often fails to render pixel-perfect layouts, causing broken workflows in critical sectors like finance and healthcare.
Systemic flaws and legacy integration further complicate the picture. Residual IE components in Windows enable attackers to exploit outdated APIs, while IE11 remains embedded in Windows 10/11 for backward compatibility, creating attack surfaces via deprecated features like VBScript and Silverlight.
All of these challenges—unpatched vulnerabilities, enterprise disruptions, performance degradation, and compliance gaps—underscore the paradox of IE's retirement. While deprecated, its remnants persist as both a necessity for legacy systems and a liability in modern cybersecurity landscapes.
Elevate Your Enterprise Browser Experience
Ready to learn how Kahana can help secure and streamline your organization's browsing? Schedule a personalized demo today.
Schedule Demo