CVE-2008-3515 in Presenter
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in files generated by Adobe Presenter 6 and 7 before 7.0.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors involving (1) viewer.swf and (2) loadflash.js, a different vulnerability than CVE-2008-3516.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/04/2018
Adobe Presenter 6 and 7 versions prior to 7.0.1 contained multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that exposed users to remote code execution risks through malicious web content injection. These vulnerabilities affected the viewer.swf and loadflash.js files, which are core components of the Adobe Presenter software used for creating and displaying interactive presentations. The flaw allowed remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content through unspecified vectors, creating potential entry points for malicious actors to compromise user sessions and execute unauthorized commands.
The technical nature of these vulnerabilities aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web page content without proper sanitization or encoding. The vulnerability exists in the processing of user-supplied input within the viewer.swf and loadflash.js files, which are typically loaded in web browsers when viewing presentations created with Adobe Presenter. These files handle dynamic content loading and script execution, making them prime targets for attackers seeking to exploit XSS weaknesses in web applications.
The operational impact of these vulnerabilities extends beyond simple script injection, as they could enable attackers to perform session hijacking, deface web applications, steal sensitive user information, or redirect victims to malicious websites. When users viewed presentations containing maliciously crafted content, the injected scripts would execute in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially compromising their security posture. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions of Adobe Presenter demonstrates a fundamental flaw in input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the software's web components.
Attackers could exploit these vulnerabilities by crafting specially designed presentations that contain malicious scripts within the viewer.swf or loadflash.js components. The attack vectors likely involved manipulating parameters or content that gets processed by these files during presentation rendering, allowing for script injection in the browser context. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering through malicious content delivery, specifically targeting the execution of malicious code through web-based presentations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to Adobe Presenter 7.0.1 or later versions that contain patches for these vulnerabilities. Network administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to detect and block malicious script injection attempts. Regular security assessments of presentation files and web applications should be conducted to identify potential XSS vulnerabilities, while user education programs should emphasize the risks of opening presentations from untrusted sources. The remediation process should include thorough testing of updated software to ensure compatibility with existing presentation content while maintaining security posture against these specific XSS attack vectors.