CVE-2011-2458 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, when Internet Explorer is used, allows remote attackers to bypass the cross-domain policy via a crafted web site.
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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 security flaw that enabled remote attackers to circumvent cross-domain policy restrictions when Internet Explorer was in use. This vulnerability specifically targeted the security mechanisms that Flash Player employs to enforce domain isolation and prevent unauthorized data access between different web domains. The flaw allowed malicious actors to craft deceptive websites that could bypass the standard security boundaries designed to protect users from cross-site scripting attacks and data exfiltration attempts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stemmed from improper handling of cross-domain policy files within Flash Player's security model. When Internet Explorer was the browser environment, the security checks that should have prevented a malicious domain from accessing resources on a different domain were being bypassed due to insufficient validation of policy file contents and access control mechanisms. This weakness was particularly dangerous because it exploited the trust relationship between Flash Player and web browsers, allowing attackers to execute unauthorized cross-domain requests that would normally be blocked by proper security implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was severe and far-reaching, as it affected users across multiple platforms including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris, and Android devices. Attackers could leverage this flaw to perform various malicious activities including data theft, session hijacking, and privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability was particularly concerning because it required no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website, making it a prime target for drive-by download attacks and social engineering campaigns. Organizations with significant Flash Player usage were especially vulnerable, as this flaw could be exploited to access sensitive corporate data or compromise user accounts across different domains.
The flaw aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and represents a classic example of how security boundaries can be circumvented through insufficient validation of security policies. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, as it allowed attackers to bypass security controls that should have prevented unauthorized access to cross-domain resources. The vulnerability also demonstrates how browser integration security models can be compromised when underlying platform components fail to properly enforce security boundaries.
Organizations should immediately update to the patched versions of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR to mitigate this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation strategy includes implementing network-level controls to block Flash content where possible, deploying web application firewalls to monitor for suspicious cross-domain requests, and conducting comprehensive security assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts. System administrators should also monitor for indicators of compromise related to Flash Player usage and ensure that all endpoints are regularly updated with the latest security patches to prevent exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities.