CVE-2012-2029 in Shockwave Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Shockwave Player before 11.6.5.635 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-2030, CVE-2012-2031, CVE-2012-2032, and CVE-2012-2033.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2025
Adobe Shockwave Player version 11.6.5.635 and earlier contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution and denial of service attacks through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw from other related CVEs affecting the same product family, indicating that multiple memory corruption issues exist within the Shockwave Player codebase. The vulnerability stems from improper memory handling during the processing of Shockwave content, where attackers can manipulate input data to trigger buffer overflows, heap corruption, or other memory-related anomalies that result in arbitrary code execution or system instability. The memory corruption occurs when the player processes maliciously crafted Shockwave files or web content that contains malformed data structures, leading to unpredictable behavior in the application's memory management subsystem.
The technical impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as successful exploitation can allow remote attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the user running the Shockwave Player application. This represents a significant security risk in enterprise environments where users may encounter malicious Shockwave content through web browsers, email attachments, or compromised websites. The vulnerability's exploitation requires careful crafting of input data that can bypass existing security controls and trigger the memory corruption state. Attackers typically leverage this flaw by delivering malicious Shockwave content through phishing campaigns, drive-by downloads, or compromised websites that automatically attempt to execute the vulnerable player component. The memory corruption can manifest as stack overflows, heap corruption, or use-after-free conditions that allow attackers to manipulate program execution flow and potentially gain full system control.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with attack patterns described in the ATT&CK framework under the execution and privilege escalation domains, where adversaries exploit software vulnerabilities to run malicious code on target systems. The CWE classification for this type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-119, which encompasses weaknesses in memory management, including buffer overflows and memory corruption issues. The vulnerability's presence in Shockwave Player demonstrates the ongoing security challenges associated with legacy multimedia plugins that continue to receive updates despite being superseded by modern web technologies. Organizations using older versions of Shockwave Player face significant exposure risks, as these components often lack modern security features like address space layout randomization, stack canaries, or other exploit mitigations that would make successful exploitation more difficult.
The operational impact of this vulnerability requires immediate remediation through software updates to version 11.6.5.635 or later, which contains patches addressing the memory corruption issues. Security administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected versions and implement network segmentation to limit exposure to potentially malicious content. Additionally, organizations should consider disabling Shockwave Player plugins in web browsers and implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted Shockwave content. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date multimedia plugins and the risks associated with legacy software components that may contain unpatched security flaws. Regular security monitoring and vulnerability management processes should include checks for outdated Shockwave Player installations, as these components often remain active on systems where they are no longer required for legitimate business operations. The remediation process must also consider compatibility issues with existing Shockwave-based applications and ensure that security updates do not disrupt critical business functions while maintaining adequate protection against exploitation attempts.