CVE-2008-5362 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
The DefineConstantPool action in the ActionScript 2 virtual machine in Adobe Flash Player 10.x before 10.0.12.36 and 9.x before 9.0.151.0, and Adobe AIR before 1.5, accepts an untrusted input value for a "constant count," which allows remote attackers to read sensitive data from process memory via a crafted PDF file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5362 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Adobe Flash Player's ActionScript 2 virtual machine implementation. This security issue affects multiple versions of Flash Player including 10.x prior to 10.0.12.36 and 9.x prior to 9.0.151.0, alongside Adobe AIR before version 1.5. The flaw manifests in the DefineConstantPool action which processes untrusted input values for a "constant count" parameter, creating an opportunity for attackers to exploit memory handling mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through crafted PDF files that contain malicious ActionScript code designed to manipulate the constant pool count parameter. When Flash Player processes these malformed inputs, the virtual machine fails to properly validate the input value, leading to a buffer over-read condition. This memory corruption allows remote attackers to access sensitive data from process memory, potentially exposing confidential information including user credentials, system data, or other protected resources. The vulnerability operates at the memory management level where insufficient input validation permits arbitrary memory access patterns.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-5362 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables remote code execution capabilities through memory read operations that can be leveraged for further exploitation. Attackers can craft PDF documents that, when opened in vulnerable Flash Player versions, trigger the memory corruption and allow for data extraction from the target system's memory space. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and represents a classic example of how improper input validation can lead to memory safety issues. The attack vector through PDF files demonstrates the interconnected nature of web technologies and how vulnerabilities in one component can affect others through the execution environment.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability operates within the context of the ATT&CK framework under the technique of privilege escalation and information gathering. The flaw allows attackers to move laterally within compromised systems by extracting sensitive memory contents, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks including credential theft or system compromise. Mitigation strategies must include immediate patching of affected Flash Player versions, implementation of network-based protections such as PDF content filtering, and application whitelisting to prevent execution of untrusted Flash content. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms and monitoring for unusual memory access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in virtual machine implementations, particularly in widely deployed software like Flash Player that processes untrusted content from web sources.