CVE-2011-2447 in Shockwave Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Shockwave Player before 11.6.3.633 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2024
Adobe Shockwave Player version 11.6.3.633 and earlier contains a memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the multimedia playback software that has been widely exploited in the wild. The memory corruption issue occurs when the affected software processes certain malformed or specially crafted content, leading to unpredictable behavior that can be leveraged by attackers to gain unauthorized system access or disrupt service availability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under memory corruption categories and can be classified as a heap-based buffer overflow or similar memory management error. Attackers can craft malicious Shockwave content that, when loaded by the vulnerable player, triggers memory corruption that allows arbitrary code execution. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack paths exist, potentially including web-based exploitation, email attachments, or other delivery mechanisms that leverage the Shockwave player's functionality. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through common internet browsing activities without requiring any additional privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation to include significant business and security implications. Organizations that have Shockwave Player installed on their systems face potential compromise of their entire network infrastructure, as successful exploitation could lead to complete system takeover. The vulnerability affects a widely deployed multimedia player that was commonly used for web-based applications, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to leverage the broad user base. The memory corruption nature of the flaw means that even denial of service attacks can be devastating, as they may result in system crashes, data loss, or require complete system reinstallation to resolve.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate patching of all affected systems running Adobe Shockwave Player versions prior to 11.6.3.633, as this vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive network monitoring for exploitation attempts and immediate isolation of systems showing signs of compromise. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted Shockwave content and ensure that users are educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping multimedia plugins and browser extensions updated, as these components often represent significant attack surfaces that are frequently targeted by cybercriminals. The issue aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack tree model, where memory corruption vulnerabilities serve as primary entry points for advanced persistent threats and exploit frameworks.
This vulnerability is categorized under CWE-125 as out-of-bounds read and CWE-787 as out-of-bounds write, representing the fundamental memory safety issues that enable such exploits. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1203 as Exploitation for Client Execution and T1059 as Command and Scripting Interpreter, demonstrating how memory corruption flaws can be leveraged for complete system compromise. The widespread deployment of Shockwave Player across enterprise environments makes this vulnerability particularly concerning, as it provides attackers with a reliable method for initial access and lateral movement within networks where legacy multimedia software remains installed. Organizations should implement comprehensive vulnerability management programs that include regular scanning for outdated multimedia plugins and ensure that all software components are kept current with vendor security patches.