CVE-2010-2163 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player before 9.0.277.0 and 10.x before 10.1.53.64, and Adobe AIR before 2.0.2.12610, might allow attackers to execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2021
Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR contained multiple unspecified vulnerabilities that existed prior to the specified version releases, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors. These vulnerabilities were particularly dangerous because they allowed remote code execution through unknown vectors, meaning attackers could exploit these flaws without specific knowledge of the exact technical details. The unspecified nature of these vulnerabilities suggests they could encompass various classes of weaknesses including buffer overflows, memory corruption issues, or improper input validation flaws that could be leveraged by attackers to gain unauthorized access to systems. The affected versions spanned across both the legacy 9.x series and the newer 10.x series of Flash Player, indicating these were fundamental architectural or implementation flaws rather than isolated incidents. Additionally, the vulnerability affected Adobe AIR applications which extended the attack surface beyond traditional web browsers to desktop applications that utilized Flash technology.
The technical impact of these vulnerabilities could manifest through various attack vectors including malicious web content, specially crafted files, or compromised websites that would trigger the exploitation of these unspecified flaws. Attackers could potentially leverage these vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code on targeted systems, which would provide them with complete control over the affected machine. The nature of Flash Player's architecture, which processes multimedia content and scripting within web browsers, made it an attractive target for attackers seeking to compromise user systems. These vulnerabilities could be exploited through drive-by downloads, malicious advertisements, or compromised websites that would automatically trigger the exploitation process. The lack of specific details about the exact vulnerability types makes these flaws particularly dangerous as defenders would struggle to implement precise mitigations without complete information about the underlying technical issues.
The operational impact of these vulnerabilities extended beyond individual system compromises to potentially affect entire enterprise networks. Organizations using affected versions of Flash Player or AIR applications were at risk of advanced persistent threats where attackers could establish persistent access to compromised systems. The widespread adoption of Flash Player across both desktop and mobile platforms meant that these vulnerabilities could affect a massive user base. Security teams faced challenges in detecting and responding to attacks because the unspecified nature of the vulnerabilities made it difficult to create specific signatures or detection rules. The vulnerabilities could be particularly problematic in enterprise environments where Flash Player was used extensively for business applications, training materials, or internal portal functionality. Organizations would need to implement immediate remediation strategies including patching, network segmentation, or disabling Flash Player functionality to prevent exploitation attempts.
The remediation approach required organizations to update to the patched versions of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR as specified in the CVE description. Security administrators should have prioritized these updates as critical patches to protect against potential exploitation attempts. Additional mitigations included implementing network-based controls such as web application firewalls, content filtering solutions, and browser security configurations that could help reduce the attack surface. Organizations should have considered disabling Flash Player entirely in their environments until proper patching could be completed, particularly in high-risk environments. The vulnerabilities highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and implementing robust patch management processes. From a cybersecurity framework perspective, these vulnerabilities align with common weakness enumerations such as cwe-119 memory corruption issues and cwe-79 cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that could be present in the unspecified flaw categories. The attack patterns would likely align with techniques described in the attack tree framework, potentially involving initial access through web-based delivery mechanisms followed by privilege escalation or lateral movement within compromised networks.