CVE-2012-5259 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5259 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw in Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR software across multiple platforms and operating systems. This vulnerability affects Flash Player versions prior to 10.3.183.29 and 11.x versions before 11.4.402.287 on Windows and Mac OS X systems, while Linux systems are impacted by versions before 10.3.183.29 and 11.x before 11.2.202.243, Android 2.x and 3.x devices before 11.1.111.19, and Android 4.x devices before 11.1.115.20. Additionally, Adobe AIR versions before 3.4.0.2710 and Adobe AIR SDK versions before 3.4.0.2710 are also vulnerable to this flaw. The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the category of CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, making it particularly dangerous as attackers can manipulate memory allocation patterns to execute arbitrary code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple attack surfaces given the widespread deployment of Flash Player and AIR across enterprise and consumer environments. This buffer overflow can be exploited through unspecified attack vectors that differ from other Flash Player buffer overflow vulnerabilities documented in APSB12-22, suggesting a distinct exploitation mechanism that requires specific analysis. The vulnerability's presence in multiple operating systems and mobile platforms indicates a sophisticated attack surface where adversaries can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized system access, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack vector typically involves crafting malicious Flash content that, when executed by the vulnerable software, triggers the buffer overflow condition, allowing attackers to overwrite memory structures and execute malicious payloads with elevated privileges.
Organizations and security professionals must recognize that this vulnerability represents a significant risk to system integrity and data security, particularly in environments where Flash content remains active or where legacy systems continue to operate. The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with tactics described in the attack phase of the kill chain, specifically within the execution and privilege escalation stages of the ATT&CK framework, where adversaries establish persistent access through code execution on compromised systems. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patch deployment across all affected platforms, implementation of network-based protections such as content filtering and sandboxing measures, and comprehensive monitoring for exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider disabling Flash content where possible and implementing application whitelisting controls to prevent execution of potentially malicious Flash content, while maintaining awareness of related vulnerabilities that may exploit similar memory corruption patterns in the broader Adobe ecosystem.