CVE-2012-2044 in Shockwave
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Shockwave Player before 11.6.6.636 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-2043, CVE-2012-2045, CVE-2012-2046, and CVE-2012-2047.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2021
Adobe Shockwave Player version 11.6.6.636 and earlier contains a memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution or denial of service attacks through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw from other related issues in the same year, indicating that attackers can exploit memory handling errors within the Shockwave Player runtime environment to gain unauthorized system access or disrupt service availability.
The technical flaw manifests as memory corruption issues that occur when processing specially crafted Shockwave content or files. These memory handling errors can be triggered through various attack vectors including malicious web pages, email attachments, or downloaded content that utilizes Shockwave Player's multimedia capabilities. The vulnerability's nature suggests improper memory allocation, deallocation, or access patterns within the player's code execution environment, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate memory structures to execute arbitrary code or cause application crashes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation as it affects users who may encounter malicious Shockwave content through legitimate web browsing or email interactions. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to install malware, gain persistent access to compromised systems, or conduct more sophisticated attacks by combining this vulnerability with other exploitation techniques. The memory corruption aspect particularly threatens system stability and security integrity, as it can lead to unpredictable behavior and potential privilege escalation opportunities.
Security professionals should prioritize patching affected systems immediately as this vulnerability can be exploited remotely without user interaction. The mitigation strategy requires updating to Adobe Shockwave Player version 11.6.6.636 or later, which contains fixes for the memory corruption issues. Organizations should also implement network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems to block malicious Shockwave content. Additionally, user education regarding the risks of downloading and executing unknown Shockwave files remains crucial for comprehensive defense. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125 and CWE-787 categories related to out-of-bounds read and write errors, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving exploitation of software vulnerabilities and privilege escalation through memory corruption attacks.