CVE-2012-5258 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
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 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than other Flash Player memory corruption CVEs listed in APSB12-22.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2021
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to specific patched releases across multiple operating systems contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks. This vulnerability affected Windows and Mac OS X systems running Flash Player versions before 10.3.183.29 and 11.x before 11.4.402.287, Linux systems before 10.3.183.29 and 11.x before 11.2.202.243, Android 2.x and 3.x systems before 11.1.111.19, and Android 4.x systems before 11.1.115.20. The vulnerability also impacted Adobe AIR versions before 3.4.0.2710 and Adobe AIR SDK versions before 3.4.0.2710, demonstrating the widespread nature of this security flaw across Adobe's multimedia platform ecosystem. The memory corruption issue manifested through unspecified attack vectors that differed from other Flash Player memory corruption vulnerabilities documented in Adobe Security Bulletins, indicating a distinct code flaw that required separate remediation efforts.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within the Flash Player runtime environment, where attackers could manipulate memory structures through crafted Flash content or web pages. This type of memory corruption vulnerability typically occurs when the application fails to properly validate input data or when buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory management errors are present in the code execution path. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions. These memory corruption flaws often provide attackers with opportunities to execute arbitrary code by manipulating heap memory or stack structures, potentially leading to complete system compromise when combined with other exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass full system compromise potential for attackers. Organizations running affected Flash Player versions faced significant risk exposure since Flash Player was widely deployed across enterprise networks and consumer environments, making it an attractive target for malicious actors. The vulnerability could be exploited through web browsers when users visited compromised websites or opened malicious Flash content, requiring no user interaction beyond normal browsing behavior. This made the attack surface particularly broad and difficult to control, as organizations could not easily prevent users from accessing legitimate web content that might contain malicious embedded Flash elements. The memory corruption could result in system crashes, application instability, or more critically, provide attackers with the ability to inject and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Flash Player process, potentially leading to privilege escalation and persistent system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of all affected Flash Player installations across supported platforms, with particular attention to the specific version thresholds mentioned in the vulnerability description. Organizations should have implemented comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all systems running Flash Player were updated to the patched versions, including both desktop and mobile platforms. Network administrators needed to consider implementing web filtering solutions and content validation measures to prevent access to potentially malicious Flash content while patches were being deployed. Security teams should have conducted thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected versions of Flash Player and AIR, particularly focusing on legacy systems that might not receive regular updates. The vulnerability's characteristics align with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under techniques such as T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, emphasizing the need for layered security approaches that include endpoint protection, network monitoring, and user education to prevent successful exploitation attempts.