CVE-2010-2215 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 9.0.280 and 10.x before 10.1.82.76, and Adobe AIR before 2.0.3, allows attackers to trick a user into (1) selecting a link or (2) completing a dialog, related to a "click-jacking" issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2025
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 9.0.280 and 10.x versions before 10.1.82.76, alongside Adobe AIR versions before 2.0.3, contained a critical click-jacking vulnerability that enabled attackers to manipulate user interactions through deceptive interface techniques. This vulnerability stems from insufficient user interface security controls that failed to properly validate user actions, allowing malicious actors to craft deceptive web pages that could trick users into performing unintended actions. The flaw specifically exploited the lack of proper click-jacking protection mechanisms within the Flash Player's user interface rendering system, where overlay techniques could be employed to capture user clicks intended for legitimate applications while appearing to target different elements.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of Flash Player's user interface elements through malicious web content that creates overlay layers designed to intercept user interactions. Attackers could construct web pages that appear to display legitimate Flash content while actually containing invisible layers that capture user clicks and redirect them to malicious destinations. This issue represents a classic click-jacking attack vector where the Flash Player's security model failed to properly isolate user interactions from potentially malicious overlay content, creating an environment where user intent could be subverted. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and affects the user interface security model of the affected software components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple deception attacks to potentially enable more sophisticated exploitation techniques including credential theft, unauthorized transactions, and privilege escalation. Users could be tricked into clicking on seemingly benign elements such as download buttons, confirmation dialogs, or navigation controls while the actual actions performed are directed to malicious targets. This vulnerability particularly affected web applications that relied on Flash Player for interactive content delivery, making it a significant concern for enterprises and individuals who used Flash-based applications for business processes or personal activities. The attack vector typically involved social engineering elements where users were misled into interacting with malicious content through deceptive interface design.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of affected Flash Player and AIR installations to the recommended versions that included proper click-jacking protection mechanisms. Organizations should have implemented browser security policies that restricted Flash content execution and employed content security policies to prevent overlay attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-434 Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type, as it involved the execution of potentially malicious user interface elements, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1056.001 Input Injection: Keylogging where the attack could potentially capture user inputs through deceptive interface manipulation. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper user interface security controls and highlights the necessity of implementing defense-in-depth strategies that protect against both direct exploitation and social engineering components of such attacks.