CVE-2008-5108 in AIR
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Adobe AIR 1.1 and earlier allows context-dependent attackers to execute untrusted JavaScript in an AIR application via unknown attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2025
Adobe AIR 1.1 and earlier versions contain an unspecified vulnerability that enables context-dependent attackers to execute untrusted JavaScript within AIR applications through unknown attack vectors. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in Adobe's runtime environment that could potentially allow malicious actors to bypass security restrictions and execute arbitrary code. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple pathways may exist for exploitation, making the vulnerability particularly concerning for security professionals who must account for various potential attack surfaces. The vulnerability specifically targets the JavaScript execution environment within AIR applications, which could lead to complete system compromise if exploited successfully. This issue falls under the category of code injection vulnerabilities and represents a failure in proper input validation and execution sandboxing mechanisms. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to execute untrusted JavaScript code in the context of AIR applications, potentially enabling privilege escalation or data theft. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability would likely map to CWE-94, which covers "Improper Control of Generation of Code" or CWE-74, "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component." The attack vectors for this vulnerability could include malicious web content, compromised applications, or social engineering techniques that trick users into executing malicious code. This weakness in Adobe AIR's security model could potentially allow attackers to bypass the security boundaries that are supposed to isolate application code from system resources and user data. The vulnerability's context-dependent nature indicates that successful exploitation requires specific conditions to be met, but once those conditions are satisfied, the impact could be severe. The potential for executing untrusted JavaScript code within AIR applications creates a significant risk for enterprise environments where AIR applications are commonly deployed. This vulnerability would typically be classified under the ATT&CK framework as part of the T1059.007 technique for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" combined with T1068 for "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" when the JavaScript code can be elevated to system privileges. The exploitation of this vulnerability could result in complete compromise of the affected system, allowing attackers to access sensitive data, install additional malware, or establish persistent access. Organizations using Adobe AIR 1.1 or earlier versions should immediately implement mitigation strategies including application whitelisting, network segmentation, and comprehensive monitoring for suspicious JavaScript execution patterns. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper code sandboxing and input validation in runtime environments, particularly for technologies that execute untrusted code from multiple sources. Security teams should also consider implementing additional security controls such as application control policies and runtime application self-protection mechanisms to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors emphasizes the need for comprehensive security testing and threat modeling to identify potential exploitation pathways. Organizations should also monitor for any updates or patches from Adobe that address this vulnerability, as the company would likely release a security update to remediate the issue. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping runtime environments up to date and implementing layered security controls to protect against code execution attacks. The impact extends beyond individual applications to potentially affect entire enterprise ecosystems where AIR applications are deployed, making this vulnerability particularly significant for organizations with extensive AIR application usage.