CVE-2012-2037 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 10.3.183.20 and 11.x before 11.3.300.257 on Windows and Mac OS X; before 10.3.183.20 and 11.x before 11.2.202.236 on Linux; before 11.1.111.10 on Android 2.x and 3.x; and before 11.1.115.9 on Android 4.x, and Adobe AIR before 3.3.0.3610, allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-2034.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2021
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to specific patched releases across multiple operating systems contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that could be exploited to achieve arbitrary code execution or cause denial of service conditions. This vulnerability affected Windows and Mac OS X systems running Flash Player versions before 10.3.183.20 and 11.x before 11.3.300.257 respectively, while Linux systems were impacted by versions before 10.3.183.20 and 11.x before 11.2.202.236. The vulnerability also extended to mobile platforms with Android 2.x and 3.x systems affected by versions before 11.1.111.10 and Android 4.x systems before 11.1.115.9. Additionally, Adobe AIR versions before 3.3.0.3610 were also vulnerable to this memory corruption flaw. The vulnerability was classified as a memory corruption issue that allowed attackers to manipulate memory structures in ways that could lead to code execution or system instability. This type of vulnerability typically arises from improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation operations within the Flash Player runtime environment, where buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions could be triggered through maliciously crafted content. The flaw represented a significant security risk as it could be exploited through web browsers or other applications that utilized Flash Player components, potentially allowing remote attackers to execute malicious code on target systems. The vulnerability was distinct from CVE-2012-2034, indicating separate code paths and exploitation techniques. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligned with common attack patterns identified in the attack mitigation framework, where memory corruption flaws often serve as initial access vectors for more sophisticated attacks. The impact of this vulnerability was particularly severe given Flash Player's widespread adoption and the fact that it was commonly enabled in web browsers, making exploitation relatively easy for threat actors. Organizations and users needed to apply the vendor-provided patches immediately to mitigate the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability also highlighted the importance of keeping multimedia runtime components updated, as these often serve as attack surfaces for sophisticated malware campaigns. Security professionals should have monitored for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability and implemented appropriate network segmentation and access controls to limit potential exploitation. The flaw demonstrated the ongoing challenges in securing rich internet applications and the critical importance of proper memory management in software development practices.
This vulnerability represents a classic memory corruption issue that could be leveraged for remote code execution in the context of web-based attacks. The technical implementation of Flash Player's memory management system contained flaws that allowed attackers to manipulate memory contents through unspecified vectors, leading to potential system compromise. The vulnerability's exploitation required attackers to craft malicious Flash content that would trigger specific memory handling errors within the player's runtime environment. This type of flaw falls under the category of heap-based buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions that are commonly classified as CWE-119 or CWE-125 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The attack surface was particularly broad due to Flash Player's integration with web browsers and its widespread deployment across multiple platforms including desktop operating systems and mobile environments. The vulnerability's presence in Adobe AIR further extended the attack surface to desktop applications that utilized the AIR runtime, making it a comprehensive issue affecting both web and desktop environments. The exploitation techniques would typically involve crafting malicious SWF files or web content that would cause the Flash Player to improperly handle memory operations, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution in the context of the user running the Flash content. The fact that this vulnerability existed across multiple versions and platforms indicated a systemic issue within the Flash Player's memory management implementation rather than isolated code defects. Security researchers and organizations needed to prioritize patch management for this vulnerability due to its potential for remote code execution and the ease with which attackers could develop exploit code for the affected versions. The vulnerability also underscored the risks associated with legacy software components and the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all systems where Flash Player was installed. Organizations implementing security controls should have focused on network monitoring for attempts to access vulnerable Flash Player versions and employed application whitelisting strategies to prevent execution of untrusted Flash content. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue aligned with attack patterns documented in MITRE's ATT&CK framework, particularly in the execution and privilege escalation domains where such flaws could enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to systems.