CVE-2012-4167 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in Adobe Flash Player before 10.3.183.23 and 11.x before 11.4.402.265 on Windows and Mac OS X, before 10.3.183.23 and 11.x before 11.2.202.238 on Linux, before 11.1.111.16 on Android 2.x and 3.x, and before 11.1.115.17 on Android 4.x; Adobe AIR before 3.4.0.2540; and Adobe AIR SDK before 3.4.0.2540 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4167 represents a critical integer overflow flaw affecting Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR across multiple platforms and operating systems. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to specific patched releases including Flash Player 10.3.183.23 and 11.x versions before 11.4.402.265 on Windows and Mac OS X, with corresponding patches for Linux, Android, and AIR versions. The integer overflow condition occurs within the Flash Player runtime environment when processing certain data structures, creating a scenario where attackers can manipulate numerical values beyond their intended range. This flaw falls under the CWE-190 category of Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which is a well-documented vulnerability pattern in software security. The vulnerability's impact extends across multiple attack surfaces given Flash Player's widespread deployment and its role in executing multimedia content within web browsers and standalone applications.
The technical exploitation of this integer overflow allows adversaries to manipulate memory allocation and buffer handling within the Flash Player runtime. When the application processes malformed input data, particularly within multimedia content or script execution contexts, the integer overflow can cause unexpected behavior in memory management routines. Attackers can leverage this condition to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the context of the Flash Player process. The vulnerability's exploitation typically involves crafting specially designed Flash content or SWF files that trigger the overflow condition when processed by the vulnerable runtime. This attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries manipulate application behavior through crafted input to achieve unauthorized code execution. The integer overflow creates a predictable pattern that attackers can exploit to gain control over the execution flow of the Flash Player application.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-4167 extends far beyond individual system compromises due to Flash Player's ubiquitous deployment across enterprise environments and consumer devices. Organizations relying on Flash content for web applications, training materials, or multimedia presentations faced significant risk exposure when systems ran vulnerable versions of the software. The vulnerability's presence in Adobe AIR further expanded the attack surface to desktop applications and mobile environments, particularly affecting Android devices where Flash Player was commonly used for rich media content. Security teams had to urgently assess their entire software inventory for affected versions, as the vulnerability could be exploited through various delivery mechanisms including malicious websites, email attachments, or compromised web applications. The vulnerability's exploitation often required no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns and targeted attacks. The integer overflow condition could potentially be chained with other vulnerabilities to achieve more sophisticated exploitation techniques, making it a critical target for threat actors seeking persistent access to compromised systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-4167 primarily centered on immediate patch deployment and system hardening measures. Organizations were advised to update all affected Flash Player installations to the patched versions, with particular attention to Adobe AIR deployments. The recommended approach included implementing automatic update mechanisms where available, as well as network-based controls to restrict Flash Player execution in high-risk environments. Security administrators should have deployed application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted Flash content, particularly in enterprise environments where the attack surface was largest. Network segmentation and proxy server configurations were recommended to limit exposure to potentially malicious Flash content. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date software across all platforms, as the integer overflow could be exploited through multiple attack vectors including web browsers, desktop applications, and mobile operating systems. Organizations implementing security monitoring solutions were advised to establish detection rules for anomalous Flash Player behavior, particularly around memory allocation patterns and execution flow changes. The incident underscored the necessity of comprehensive vulnerability management programs that account for the interconnected nature of software components in modern computing environments.