CVE-2005-3591 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Macromedia Flash plugin (1) Flash.ocx 7.0.19.0 (Windows) and earlier and (2) libflashplayer.so before 7.0.25.0 (Unix) allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via parameters to the ActionDefineFunction ActionScript call in a SWF file, which causes an improper memory access condition, a different vulnerability than CVE-2005-2628.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3591 represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting Macromedia Flash plugin implementations across both Windows and Unix operating systems. This vulnerability specifically targets the ActionDefineFunction ActionScript call within SWF files, creating a condition where improper memory access occurs during the processing of maliciously crafted parameters. The flaw affects Flash.ocx 7.0.19.0 and earlier versions on Windows systems, as well as libflashplayer.so versions before 7.0.25.0 on Unix platforms, making it a widespread issue that impacted numerous users of the Flash plugin ecosystem during that time period.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the Flash plugin's ActionScript interpreter. When a SWF file containing malicious parameters is processed through the ActionDefineFunction call, the plugin fails to properly validate the input data before attempting to access memory locations. This improper memory access condition can result in buffer overflows, memory corruption, or other memory-related errors that lead to system instability. The vulnerability is classified as a memory corruption issue that falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, specifically representing an out-of-bounds read or write condition that occurs during the processing of untrusted input data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to potentially enabling remote code execution attacks. While the primary effect manifests as a crash or system instability that causes the Flash plugin to terminate unexpectedly, the underlying memory corruption condition creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate the execution flow of the affected applications. This vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with the ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage software vulnerabilities to execute malicious code on target systems. The potential for arbitrary code execution makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently encounter untrusted SWF content.
Security professionals addressing this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to patched versions of the Flash plugin, disabling Flash content in web browsers, and implementing network-level controls to block SWF file delivery. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue highlights the importance of proper memory management practices in plugin architectures and demonstrates the critical need for robust input validation mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted Flash content and monitor for suspicious network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability serves as a historical example of how plugin-based software components can create significant security risks when proper memory safety controls are not implemented.