CVE-2011-0611 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 10.2.154.27 on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris and 10.2.156.12 and earlier on Android; Adobe AIR before 2.6.19140; and Authplay.dll (aka AuthPlayLib.bundle) in Adobe Reader 9.x before 9.4.4 and 10.x through 10.0.1 on Windows, Adobe Reader 9.x before 9.4.4 and 10.x before 10.0.3 on Mac OS X, and Adobe Acrobat 9.x before 9.4.4 and 10.x before 10.0.3 on Windows and Mac OS X allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via crafted Flash content; as demonstrated by a Microsoft Office document with an embedded .swf file that has a size inconsistency in a "group of included constants," object type confusion, ActionScript that adds custom functions to prototypes, and Date objects; and as exploited in the wild in April 2011.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0611 represents a critical remote code execution flaw affecting multiple Adobe products including Flash Player, AIR, and Reader applications across various operating systems. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of Flash content within embedded documents, specifically targeting the way these applications process crafted .swf files that contain malformed data structures. The flaw manifests when Adobe applications encounter maliciously constructed Flash content within Microsoft Office documents, creating a pathway for attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems. The vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild during April 2011, demonstrating its significance and the immediate threat it posed to enterprise and individual users. The attack vector specifically leverages a combination of size inconsistencies within "group of included constants" structures, object type confusion, and manipulation of ActionScript prototypes to achieve code execution. This vulnerability affects a wide range of Adobe products including Flash Player versions prior to 10.2.154.27 on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris, as well as versions before 10.2.156.12 on Android, along with Adobe AIR versions before 2.6.19140, and various versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat across different platforms.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of input boundaries, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. The flaw occurs due to insufficient validation of Flash content structure when processing embedded .swf files within Office documents, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code. Attackers exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious Office documents containing embedded Flash content with specific size inconsistencies in the "group of included constants" object type, which triggers an object type confusion error. The exploitation technique utilizes ActionScript code that manipulates prototype objects and Date objects to create a buffer overflow condition, ultimately allowing attackers to overwrite memory locations and execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected application. The vulnerability specifically targets the memory management mechanisms within Adobe's Flash processing engine, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to manipulate object references and execute code remotely without user interaction.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-0611 is severe and multifaceted, affecting organizations across various industries that rely on Adobe products for document handling and multimedia content delivery. The vulnerability enables attackers to gain complete system compromise, potentially leading to data theft, system takeover, and lateral movement within networks. Organizations running vulnerable Adobe applications face significant risk of targeted attacks through phishing emails containing malicious Office documents with embedded Flash content, as demonstrated by the actual exploitation in April 2011. The vulnerability's cross-platform nature means that enterprises with mixed operating system environments are all at risk, requiring comprehensive patch management across multiple software products. Additionally, the denial of service aspect of this vulnerability can be used to disrupt business operations, particularly in environments where Adobe Reader or Flash Player are integral to document processing workflows. The attack's ability to bypass user interaction makes it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where users may inadvertently open malicious documents.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-0611 should prioritize immediate patch deployment across all affected Adobe products, including Flash Player, AIR, and Reader applications. Organizations should implement network-based protections such as content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms to prevent execution of potentially malicious Flash content. The implementation of Adobe's built-in security features like Protected Mode and the use of least privilege accounts can help limit the impact of successful exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider disabling Flash Player in web browsers where possible, as this reduces the attack surface for web-based exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining vulnerable systems within the organization. Additionally, user education programs should be implemented to raise awareness about the risks of opening suspicious Office documents, particularly those containing embedded multimedia content. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1203, which describes legitimate credentials, and T1059, which covers command and script interpreters, as attackers often leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access and execute further malicious activities. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted Flash content, and maintain regular updates to their security tooling to detect and block exploitation attempts.