CVE-2012-0761 in Shockwave Player
Summary
by MITRE
The Shockwave 3D Asset component in Adobe Shockwave Player before 11.6.4.634 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-0757, CVE-2012-0760, CVE-2012-0762, CVE-2012-0763, CVE-2012-0764, and CVE-2012-0766.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0761 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Adobe Shockwave Player's 3D Asset component that existed in versions prior to 11.6.4.634. This vulnerability specifically affects the Shockwave Player's handling of 3D assets and presents a significant security risk that could be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized system access or disrupt service availability. The flaw operates through unspecified attack vectors that differ from several other related vulnerabilities in the same timeframe, indicating a distinct code path or implementation issue within the 3D asset processing functionality.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the Shockwave Player's 3D asset rendering engine. When processing maliciously crafted 3D assets, the component fails to properly validate input data, leading to memory corruption conditions that can result in arbitrary code execution or system crashes. This memory corruption typically occurs during the parsing or rendering of 3D asset files, where buffer overflows or other memory handling errors allow attackers to manipulate program execution flow. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue aligns with common CWE categories such as CWE-121, which deals with stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which addresses heap-based buffer overflows.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to enterprise environments where Shockwave Player remains installed, as it can be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious web content, email attachments, or compromised websites. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enabling full system compromise, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that have not yet migrated away from legacy Shockwave-based applications. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to unauthorized code execution with the privileges of the user running the Shockwave Player, potentially allowing attackers to install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access to affected systems.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to Adobe Shockwave Player version 11.6.4.634 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the memory corruption issues. Additionally, network administrators should implement web filtering controls to block access to known malicious Shockwave content and consider disabling Shockwave Player in environments where it is not strictly required for business operations. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual network traffic patterns or system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around web browsing activities involving 3D content. The vulnerability's relationship to other CVE identifiers in the same year demonstrates a pattern of security weaknesses within Adobe's Shockwave Player implementation that underscores the importance of comprehensive patch management and security awareness training for users who may encounter legacy Shockwave content in their daily operations.