CVE-2012-5249 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Adobe Flash Player before 10.3.183.29 and 11.x before 11.4.402.287 on Windows and Mac OS X, before 10.3.183.29 and 11.x before 11.2.202.243 on Linux, before 11.1.111.19 on Android 2.x and 3.x, and before 11.1.115.20 on Android 4.x; Adobe AIR before 3.4.0.2710; and Adobe AIR SDK before 3.4.0.2710 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than other Flash Player buffer overflow CVEs listed in APSB12-22.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2021
Adobe Flash Player suffered from a critical buffer overflow vulnerability that affected multiple platform versions and operating systems. This vulnerability existed in Flash Player versions prior to 10.3.183.29 for Windows and Mac OS X, 11.x versions before 11.4.402.287 for Windows and Mac OS X, 10.3.183.29 and 11.x versions before 11.2.202.243 on Linux, 11.1.111.19 on Android 2.x and 3.x, and 11.1.115.20 on Android 4.x. Additionally, Adobe AIR versions before 3.4.0.2710 and Adobe AIR SDK versions before 3.4.0.2710 were also affected by this flaw. The vulnerability allowed remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on targeted systems through unspecified attack vectors that differed from other Flash Player buffer overflow vulnerabilities documented in Adobe Security Bulletins APSB12-22. This specific flaw represented a distinct threat model compared to previously identified buffer overflow issues within the Flash Player ecosystem. The vulnerability was classified under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, which occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of a fixed-length buffer allocated on the stack. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script interpreter execution, as successful exploitation would enable attackers to run malicious code on vulnerable systems. The buffer overflow could be triggered through malformed Flash content delivered via web browsers or other applications that utilize Flash Player components. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise and persistent backdoor access. The impact was particularly severe given Flash Player's widespread deployment across multiple operating systems and device types, including desktop computers, mobile devices, and embedded systems. Organizations running affected versions of Flash Player and AIR were at significant risk of exploitation, as the vulnerability could be exploited through standard web browsing activities without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The vulnerability was particularly concerning because it affected not just desktop platforms but also mobile operating systems including various versions of Android. This cross-platform nature of the vulnerability meant that security professionals had to implement mitigation strategies across multiple environments and device types. The exploitation of this buffer overflow could lead to privilege escalation, data theft, system corruption, and the installation of additional malware. Security researchers noted that the vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it was not limited to specific content types or attack scenarios, making it more difficult to defend against through traditional content filtering approaches. The affected versions of Flash Player and AIR represented a significant attack surface that required immediate patching and mitigation efforts across enterprise environments. Organizations needed to implement comprehensive patch management procedures and monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. The vulnerability demonstrated the ongoing security challenges associated with legacy software components that continue to be widely deployed despite known security issues. This particular buffer overflow represented a serious threat to enterprise security and required immediate attention from security teams responsible for maintaining software inventory and applying security updates across their organizations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stemmed from improper bounds checking within the Flash Player runtime environment. When processing malformed Flash content, the application failed to properly validate input data lengths, allowing attackers to write data beyond the allocated buffer space. This flaw occurred in the parsing and execution components of Flash Player that handle multimedia content processing. The vulnerability was particularly insidious because it could be triggered through web-based attacks without requiring any user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. Attackers could craft specially designed SWF files or embed malicious content within legitimate web pages to exploit this vulnerability. The buffer overflow occurred in memory regions that could be directly controlled by attackers, enabling them to overwrite critical program execution data such as return addresses or function pointers. This type of memory corruption vulnerability was classified as a stack-based buffer overflow under CWE-121, where the buffer overflow occurred on the stack rather than in heap memory. The attack vectors involved the manipulation of Flash Player's multimedia processing capabilities to cause memory corruption that could be leveraged for code execution. The vulnerability was particularly concerning because it affected multiple versions of Flash Player and AIR across different platforms, making it difficult for organizations to determine which specific versions required patching. The exploitation of this vulnerability required attackers to understand the memory layout of the target system and craft payloads that could successfully overwrite execution control structures. This level of sophistication required attackers to have detailed knowledge of the Flash Player internals and the target operating system memory management mechanisms. The vulnerability was not limited to specific types of content but could be triggered through various forms of Flash media processing, including audio, video, and interactive elements. This broad attack surface meant that the vulnerability could be exploited through numerous legitimate web browsing activities, making it particularly dangerous for end users. The vulnerability was also significant because it was not part of the typical Flash Player exploitation patterns documented in previous security advisories, indicating that attackers had discovered a new method for achieving code execution through the Flash Player runtime environment.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability needed to implement immediate remediation measures to protect their systems from exploitation. The primary mitigation strategy involved updating to the patched versions of Flash Player and AIR that addressed the buffer overflow issue. Security teams needed to conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all systems running affected versions of the software. The patching process required careful testing to ensure that updates did not break existing applications or services that relied on Flash Player functionality. Organizations should have implemented network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability and established incident response procedures for handling successful attacks. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date software inventory and applying security patches in a timely manner. Security professionals needed to consider implementing additional controls such as web application firewalls or content filtering solutions to prevent access to malicious Flash content. The vulnerability also underscored the need for regular security assessments of legacy software components that continue to be deployed in enterprise environments. Organizations should have established processes for identifying and decommissioning outdated software that poses security risks. The widespread deployment of Flash Player across different platforms meant that security teams needed to coordinate patching efforts across multiple operating systems and device types. The vulnerability demonstrated the risks associated with relying on third-party software components that may have extended support lifecycles but contain known security issues. Security teams needed to implement comprehensive monitoring and alerting systems to detect exploitation attempts and ensure that all systems were properly patched. The vulnerability also highlighted the importance of user education regarding the risks associated with visiting untrusted websites and the potential for drive-by downloads through Flash-based attacks. Organizations needed to establish clear procedures for managing software updates and ensuring that security patches were applied consistently across all affected systems. The vulnerability served as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining current security practices and staying informed about emerging threats in the software ecosystem. This particular vulnerability required immediate attention from security teams due to its potential for widespread exploitation and the difficulty in defending against it through traditional network security controls. The vulnerability also emphasized the need for organizations to maintain robust patch management processes and to prioritize security updates for critical software components. The exploitation of this vulnerability could result in complete system compromise and persistent access to enterprise networks, making it a high-priority security concern that required immediate action from security professionals.