CVE-2011-2134 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Adobe Flash Player before 10.3.183.5 on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris and before 10.3.186.3 on Android, and Adobe AIR before 2.7.1 on Windows and Mac OS X and before 2.7.1.1961 on Android, allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-2130, CVE-2011-2137, CVE-2011-2414, and CVE-2011-2415.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2134 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR software across multiple operating systems and platforms. This vulnerability affects versions prior to specific patch releases including Flash Player 10.3.183.5 for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris, and Flash Player 10.3.186.3 for Android, alongside Adobe AIR versions before 2.7.1 for Windows and Mac OS X and before 2.7.1.1961 for Android. The flaw stems from improper input validation and memory management within the multimedia framework that processes Flash content, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors to gain unauthorized system access.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow vulnerability occurs when the affected software fails to properly bounds-check data structures during Flash content parsing operations. This allows attackers to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries, potentially overwriting adjacent memory regions including instruction pointers, return addresses, or other critical program variables. The vulnerability operates at the application level where untrusted Flash content can trigger memory corruption, enabling attackers to manipulate the execution flow of the Flash Player process. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios that can occur when dynamic memory allocation is mishandled.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-2134 extends across multiple platform environments, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with diverse computing infrastructures. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious Flash content that, when executed by an affected user's browser or application, triggers the buffer overflow condition. The remote execution capability of this vulnerability means that attackers can deliver malicious payloads through web pages, email attachments, or other vectors that render Flash content. Successful exploitation typically results in arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the compromised Flash Player process, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or establishment of persistent backdoors within the target environment.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including mandatory patching of all affected Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR installations across all supported platforms. Security administrators should also consider implementing network-based controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious Flash content, particularly in high-risk environments. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would align with techniques such as T1059 for command and script interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish initial access and subsequently escalate privileges within compromised systems. Additionally, browser security policies should be updated to restrict Flash content execution or disable it entirely where possible, given the widespread nature of this vulnerability across multiple platforms and the difficulty of comprehensive patch management in enterprise environments.