CVE-2002-1467 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Macromedia Flash Plugin before 6,0,47,0 allows remote attackers to bypass the same-domain restriction and read arbitrary files via (1) an HTTP redirect, (2) a "file://" base in a web document, or (3) a relative URL from a web archive (mht file).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/15/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-1467 represents a critical cross-site scripting (XSS) flaw in Macromedia Flash Plugin versions prior to 6.0.47.0 that fundamentally undermines the browser's security model by enabling attackers to circumvent the same-origin policy that protects web applications from unauthorized data access. This security bypass allows malicious actors to exploit the plugin's handling of URLs and file references to access sensitive information from arbitrary locations on a user's system. The vulnerability operates through three distinct attack vectors that collectively demonstrate the plugin's inadequate validation of file paths and URL resolution mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through three primary methods that all leverage the plugin's failure to properly enforce security boundaries. The first vector involves HTTP redirects that manipulate the plugin's interpretation of resource locations, allowing attackers to redirect requests to local files that would normally be inaccessible. The second method exploits a "file://" base in web documents, where the plugin incorrectly processes local file references that should be restricted to prevent unauthorized access to the local filesystem. The third vector utilizes relative URLs within web archive files such as mht format documents, where the plugin fails to properly resolve these references against the security context of the originating document. Each of these attack methods directly violates the fundamental security principle that web content should not be able to access local resources without explicit user consent.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory) and CWE-23 (Relative Path Traversal) within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, demonstrating how improper input validation and path resolution can lead to privilege escalation and unauthorized data access. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables attackers to potentially access sensitive files, user credentials, or system configuration data that could be stored locally on the victim's machine. The attack requires no special privileges from the attacker, making it particularly dangerous as it can be executed through standard web browsing activities, and the affected plugin was widely distributed across internet-connected systems during the early 2000s.
The security implications of CVE-2002-1467 align with tactics and techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the category of privilege escalation and credential access. Specifically, this vulnerability enables adversaries to perform reconnaissance and information gathering activities without requiring direct system compromise, as the attack operates entirely through web-based vectors. Organizations affected by this vulnerability faced significant risk exposure, particularly in environments where users had access to potentially malicious websites or where web archives contained embedded malicious content. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper security boundaries in web plugin architectures and demonstrates how browser security models can be undermined by third-party components that fail to properly validate input sources and resource locations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of the Macromedia Flash Plugin to version 6.0.47.0 or later, which included enhanced URL validation and proper enforcement of same-domain restrictions. System administrators should have implemented network-level controls to restrict access to known malicious domains and employed web application firewalls to monitor and filter potentially malicious redirect sequences. Additionally, user education regarding the risks of visiting untrusted websites and opening unknown web archive files became crucial defensive measures. The vulnerability underscored the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security patches for all browser plugins and highlighted the importance of proper sandboxing mechanisms in web-based multimedia applications to prevent unauthorized access to local system resources.