CVE-2011-2135 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
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 or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-2140, CVE-2011-2417, and CVE-2011-2425.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2021
Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR versions prior to specified patches contain a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution and denial of service attacks. This vulnerability affects multiple platforms including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris, and Android operating systems. The flaw exists in the way these applications handle certain data structures during processing, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory contents through crafted input. Unlike related vulnerabilities such as CVE-2011-2140, CVE-2011-2417, and CVE-2011-2425, this specific issue presents distinct exploitation vectors that can be leveraged to achieve arbitrary code execution within the context of the Flash Player or AIR runtime environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices within the Flash Player's ActionScript execution engine and AIR's application framework. Attackers can craft malicious SWF files or web content that triggers buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory corruption scenarios when the affected software processes the malicious input. These memory corruption issues typically occur during parsing of complex multimedia content or when handling specific API calls that interact with the underlying system memory. The vulnerability's exploitation requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage or opening a compromised file, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns and drive-by download attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation to include significant security risks for enterprise environments and individual users. Organizations running affected versions of Flash Player or AIR face potential compromise of entire systems through remote code execution, allowing attackers to install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors. The cross-platform nature of the vulnerability means that security teams must implement comprehensive patching strategies across multiple operating systems and device types. Additionally, the memory corruption aspects can lead to system instability, application crashes, and denial of service conditions that can disrupt business operations and user productivity. This vulnerability directly aligns with attack patterns documented in the mitre ATT&CK framework under techniques such as exploitation for privilege escalation and execution through web-based attacks.
Organizations should immediately implement patch management procedures to upgrade to the latest versions of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR that contain fixes for this vulnerability. The recommended remediation includes updating to Flash Player 10.3.183.5 for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris platforms, and Flash Player 10.3.186.3 for Android devices. Similarly, Adobe AIR users should upgrade to versions 2.7.1 for Windows and Mac OS X, and 2.7.1.1961 for Android platforms. Security teams should also consider implementing network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to prevent access to known malicious domains and files. Additional mitigations include disabling Flash Player in web browsers where possible, implementing sandboxing techniques, and monitoring system logs for signs of exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under CWE 125 (Out-of-bounds Read) and CWE 787 (Out-of-bounds Write) indicates that proper bounds checking and memory management practices are essential for preventing such issues in future software development.