CVE-2010-4086 in Shockwave Player
Summary
by MITRE
dirapi.dll in Adobe Shockwave Player before 11.5.9.615 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted Director (.dir) media file with an invalid element size, a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-2581, CVE-2010-2880, CVE-2010-4084, CVE-2010-4085, and CVE-2010-4088.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2021
Adobe Shockwave Player contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability in the dirapi.dll component that affects versions prior to 11.5.9.615. This vulnerability specifically manifests when processing crafted Director media files with invalid element sizes, creating a dangerous condition that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code or cause system crashes. The flaw resides in how the software handles malformed data structures within .dir files, particularly when element size fields contain invalid values that trigger improper memory management during file parsing operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves buffer overflow conditions that occur when Shockwave Player attempts to parse Director files with malformed size indicators. When an attacker crafts a malicious .dir file containing invalid element size values, the parser fails to properly validate these parameters before attempting memory allocation or data copying operations. This validation failure results in memory corruption that can be leveraged to overwrite critical memory locations, potentially allowing remote code execution within the context of the user running the application. The vulnerability operates at the memory management level and represents a classic case of improper input validation combined with unsafe memory handling practices.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-4086 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full system compromise potential. Attackers can craft malicious Director files that, when opened by an unpatched Shockwave Player installation, will trigger the memory corruption leading to arbitrary code execution. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users might encounter such files through email attachments, web downloads, or malicious websites. The vulnerability affects a wide range of systems running affected Shockwave Player versions and represents a significant threat vector for targeted attacks or mass exploitation campaigns.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in multimedia processing components. The flaw aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1203, which covers Exploitation for Client Execution, and T1059, covering Command and Scripting Interpreter. Organizations should implement immediate patch management procedures to update Shockwave Player installations to version 11.5.9.615 or later, while also considering network segmentation and application whitelisting to limit exposure. Additional mitigations include disabling Shockwave Player in environments where it is not essential, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious file downloads, and conducting regular security assessments to identify unpatched systems. The vulnerability underscores the critical need for comprehensive security testing of multimedia processing components and the importance of maintaining current software versions to protect against known exploitation techniques.