CVE-2010-2865 in Shockwave Player
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Adobe Shockwave Player before 11.5.8.612 allows attackers to cause a denial of service via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2021
Adobe Shockwave Player version 11.5.8.612 and earlier contains an unspecified vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks through unknown vectors. This vulnerability resides within the Shockwave Player runtime environment which is used to execute Shockwave content on web browsers and desktop applications. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability means that the exact technical flaw remains undisclosed, though it is confirmed to affect versions prior to the patched release. The vulnerability allows attackers to potentially crash the Shockwave Player application or render it unresponsive through crafted malicious content or network requests. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning as Shockwave Player was widely deployed across enterprise and consumer environments, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to disrupt user productivity or create access control bypass scenarios. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it could potentially be leveraged as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risks associated with multimedia player software that processes untrusted content from web sources. The attack surface is expanded by the fact that Shockwave Player is often installed as a browser plugin and can be automatically triggered when users visit compromised websites. The vulnerability may be related to memory corruption issues, buffer overflows, or improper input validation that occurs when processing Shockwave content. Organizations using older versions of Shockwave Player are at significant risk as these systems lack the security patches that address the underlying flaw. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-119 which covers weak memory management and CWE-125 which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious Shockwave content or manipulating network traffic to trigger the flaw during content processing. The denial of service impact can be severe as it affects user productivity and may require system restarts to restore normal functionality. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability represents a classic example of how legacy multimedia software can pose ongoing security risks. The lack of specific technical details in the vulnerability description is typical of early disclosure phases where full analysis may not be immediately available. Organizations should prioritize updating to the patched version 11.5.8.612 or later to mitigate this risk. The vulnerability may also be related to the ATT&CK framework's technique T1203 for legitimate program execution, where attackers could leverage the vulnerable player to create persistent access or establish footholds in compromised systems. Mitigation strategies include disabling Shockwave Player plugins in web browsers, implementing network-based restrictions, and ensuring all systems are updated with the latest security patches. Given the widespread deployment of Shockwave Player, this vulnerability could have affected millions of users across various industries. The attack vectors are likely to include malicious websites, email attachments, or compromised web services that deliver Shockwave content. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual Shockwave Player behavior or unexpected crashes that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date multimedia software and implementing comprehensive patch management processes to address known security flaws before they can be exploited in the wild.