CVE-2012-5260 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
Adobe Flash Player suffered from a critical buffer overflow vulnerability that affected multiple platform versions and operating systems including windows mac os x linux android and android 4.x. this vulnerability existed in flash player versions prior to 10.3.183.29 and 11.x before 11.4.402.287 for windows and mac os x before 10.3.183.29 and 11.x before 11.2.202.243 for linux before 11.1.111.19 for android 2.x and 3.x and before 11.1.115.20 for android 4.x. additionally the vulnerability impacted adobe air versions before 3.4.0.2710 and adobe air sdk before 3.4.0.2710. the flaw allowed remote attackers to execute arbitrary code through unspecified vectors which distinguished it from other flash player buffer overflow vulnerabilities documented in adobe security bulletins. this particular vulnerability was classified as a buffer overflow under common weakness enumeration cwe-121 and represented a significant threat to system security. the technical implementation involved improper bounds checking during memory allocation and data processing within the flash player runtime environment. attackers could exploit this weakness by crafting malicious swf files or web content that would trigger the buffer overflow when processed by the vulnerable flash player components. the operational impact was severe as successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise allowing attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected user. this vulnerability was particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where flash player was widely deployed and often automatically executed content from web browsers. the attack surface extended across multiple operating systems and mobile platforms making it a high-priority target for threat actors. organizations needed to implement immediate patches and updates to address the vulnerability as it represented a significant risk to their security infrastructure. the flaw demonstrated the importance of proper memory management and bounds checking in application development. from an attack perspective this vulnerability aligned with tactics used in the attack pattern taxonomy where adversaries would leverage software flaws to gain unauthorized access and execute malicious payloads. the security implications were further compounded by the widespread adoption of flash player across various platforms and the automatic execution of flash content in web browsers. organizations had to implement comprehensive patch management strategies and consider alternative content delivery methods to mitigate the risk. the vulnerability highlighted the need for robust application sandboxing and memory protection mechanisms. security professionals needed to monitor for exploitation attempts and implement network-based intrusion detection systems to identify potential attacks targeting this specific flaw. the remediation process required careful coordination between different software vendors and system administrators to ensure complete coverage across all affected platforms. this vulnerability underscored the importance of regular security assessments and the necessity of maintaining up-to-date software versions to prevent exploitation of known security flaws. the incident served as a reminder of the critical nature of software security and the importance of proactive vulnerability management in maintaining secure computing environments.