CVE-2012-0768 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
The Matrix3D component in Adobe Flash Player before 10.3.183.16 and 11.x before 11.1.102.63 on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris; before 11.1.111.7 on Android 2.x and 3.x; and before 11.1.115.7 on Android 4.x 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 • 03/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0768 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Adobe Flash Player's Matrix3D component that affected multiple operating systems and platform versions. This vulnerability specifically impacted Flash Player versions prior to 10.3.183.16 for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris platforms, while also affecting Android versions before 11.1.111.7 for Android 2.x and 3.x, and before 11.1.115.7 for Android 4.x. The Matrix3D component is responsible for handling three-dimensional transformations and graphics rendering within Flash applications, making it a prime target for exploitation due to its complex memory management requirements and extensive interaction with system resources. This flaw falls under the CWE-119 vulnerability category, which encompasses weaknesses related to the improper handling of memory buffers, specifically addressing issues where memory is accessed beyond its allocated bounds or where memory corruption occurs during processing operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unspecified attack vectors that leverage memory corruption techniques to potentially execute arbitrary code or induce denial of service conditions. Attackers could craft malicious Flash content that, when processed by the vulnerable Matrix3D component, would trigger memory corruption patterns leading to unpredictable behavior. The exploitation mechanism typically involves manipulating input parameters or data structures within the 3D transformation matrix processing logic, causing the application to write beyond allocated memory boundaries or corrupt critical data structures. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through web-based attacks, where users unknowingly visit compromised websites hosting malicious Flash content, making it an ideal candidate for drive-by download attacks that leverage the widespread use of Flash Player across various platforms.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-0768 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable complete system compromise through arbitrary code execution. When successfully exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the Flash Player process, which typically runs with the same permissions as the user who initiated the browser session. This could lead to privilege escalation scenarios, data theft, system monitoring, or further exploitation of the compromised system. The vulnerability's presence across multiple platforms including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris, and various Android versions created an extensive attack surface that made it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on Flash-based content. The memory corruption nature of the flaw also makes detection and mitigation challenging, as it may not always result in immediate system crashes but could manifest as subtle memory instability that degrades system performance over time.
Organizations and users should implement immediate mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, including updating to the patched versions of Adobe Flash Player as recommended by Adobe's security advisories. The patched versions contain memory safety improvements and input validation measures specifically designed to prevent the memory corruption patterns that enable exploitation of this vulnerability. System administrators should also consider implementing network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions that can detect and block malicious Flash content before it reaches vulnerable systems. Additionally, organizations should consider disabling Flash Player entirely where possible, as the vulnerability landscape for Flash Player has been increasingly problematic, and Adobe officially discontinued Flash Player support in 2020. The remediation efforts should also include monitoring for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability, particularly in environments where legacy Flash content remains in use, as the attack surface for such vulnerabilities continues to be exploited in targeted campaigns against organizations with outdated security configurations.