CVE-2011-2451 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 10.3.183.11 and 11.x before 11.1.102.55 on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris and before 11.1.102.59 on Android, and Adobe AIR before 3.1.0.4880, allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-2445, CVE-2011-2452, CVE-2011-2453, CVE-2011-2454, CVE-2011-2455, CVE-2011-2459, and CVE-2011-2460.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/26/2021
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 10.3.183.11 and 11.x before 11.1.102.55 across multiple operating systems and Adobe AIR before 3.1.0.4880 contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks. This vulnerability represented a distinct threat vector from other contemporaneous Flash Player flaws, demonstrating the complex nature of multimedia runtime security issues. The unspecified attack vectors likely involved memory manipulation techniques that could be exploited through malformed content delivered via web browsers or desktop applications leveraging the Flash runtime environment. The vulnerability's impact extended across Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris platforms, indicating a widespread exposure that affected the majority of desktop computing environments where Flash Player was installed. Mobile platforms including Android were also affected, with the vulnerability persisting until version 11.1.102.59 was released. This memory corruption flaw typically manifested when the Flash Player processed maliciously crafted content, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the context of the user's privileges, or causing application crashes that resulted in denial of service conditions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to memory corruption and potential code execution. From an operational perspective, this flaw represented a significant risk for enterprise environments where Flash Player was widely deployed, as it could be exploited through web-based attacks without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The attack surface was broad due to Flash Player's extensive use in web applications, online advertising, and multimedia content delivery. Organizations faced the challenge of patching across multiple platforms and versions, with the complexity increased by the fact that Adobe AIR applications also shared the same vulnerable runtime components. The vulnerability's classification under the broader ATT&CK framework would align with techniques involving exploitation of software vulnerabilities, specifically those targeting runtime environments and application memory management. Mitigation strategies required immediate patch deployment across all affected systems, alongside network-level controls to prevent access to known malicious content. Security teams needed to implement comprehensive monitoring for exploitation attempts and consider sandboxing approaches to limit potential damage from successful attacks. The incident highlighted the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date multimedia runtime components and demonstrated how vulnerabilities in widely deployed software could create extensive security risks across diverse computing environments. Organizations had to balance the need for immediate patching against the potential for disruption to legitimate business applications that relied on Flash Player functionality, making this vulnerability a particularly challenging security management issue for IT administrators.