CVE-2007-2022 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Macromedia Flash Player 7 and 9, when used with Opera before 9.20 or Konqueror before 20070613, allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information (browser keystrokes), which are leaked to the Flash Player applet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/18/2019
Adobe Macromedia Flash Player versions 7 and 9 contained a critical security vulnerability that enabled remote attackers to capture browser keystrokes through improper input validation and insufficient access controls. This vulnerability specifically affected users operating Flash Player in conjunction with Opera browsers prior to version 9.20 or Konqueror browsers before the June 13, 2007 release. The flaw stemmed from the Flash Player's inadequate handling of keyboard input events within web browser environments, allowing malicious actors to exploit the communication channels between the browser and Flash applet components. The vulnerability operates under CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and represents a significant concern for user privacy and data protection. Attackers could leverage this weakness to capture sensitive keystrokes including passwords, personal identification numbers, and other confidential information entered into web forms or applications while users interacted with Flash-enabled content. The security implications extend beyond simple keystroke logging to encompass potential credential theft and session hijacking scenarios that could compromise user accounts and sensitive data repositories.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involved the manipulation of Flash Player's input handling mechanisms to intercept and transmit keyboard events to remote servers without proper authorization. This represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and improper access control enforcement, where the Flash Player failed to properly validate the source and integrity of keyboard input events. The vulnerability's impact was amplified when Flash Player was used in conjunction with older browser versions that had weaker security boundaries and less robust sandboxing mechanisms. Security researchers identified that the issue occurred due to inadequate boundary checking in Flash Player's keyboard event processing functions, which allowed malicious Flash applets to bypass normal security restrictions. This flaw directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1056.001, which covers credential access through input capture methods, and demonstrates how legacy software components can create persistent security risks when integrated with modern web environments. The vulnerability's exploitation required minimal technical sophistication and could be accomplished through standard web-based attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous for widespread deployment.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-2022 extended far beyond individual user privacy concerns to encompass enterprise security risks and potential data breaches. Organizations relying on Flash Player for web content delivery faced significant exposure when users accessed malicious websites or encountered compromised web applications. The vulnerability created a persistent threat vector that could remain active for extended periods, particularly in environments where legacy software was not regularly updated or patched. Security professionals noted that the vulnerability's exploitation could occur without user awareness, making detection and prevention particularly challenging. The risk was compounded by the widespread adoption of Flash Player across various web platforms and applications, creating a large attack surface for potential exploitation. Organizations experienced increased security incidents related to credential theft, unauthorized access attempts, and data leakage events that could be traced back to this vulnerability. The incident highlighted the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing comprehensive patch management processes to prevent such vulnerabilities from being exploited in real-world environments. The vulnerability also demonstrated how browser-specific security implementations could create gaps in overall security postures when integrated with third-party plugins or components that did not properly account for varying security contexts.