CVE-2012-5268 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 existed in Flash Player versions 10.3.183.29 and earlier for Windows and Mac OS X, 10.3.183.29 and earlier for Linux, 11.4.402.287 and earlier for Windows and Mac OS X, 11.2.202.243 and earlier for Linux, 11.1.111.19 and earlier for Android 2.x and 3.x, and 11.1.115.20 and earlier for Android 4.x. Additionally, Adobe AIR versions before 3.4.0.2710 and AIR SDK versions before 3.4.0.2710 were also affected by this same vulnerability. The flaw manifested as unspecified vectors that could be exploited to achieve arbitrary code execution or cause system crashes through memory corruption attacks. This vulnerability represented a distinct memory corruption issue separate from other Flash Player memory corruption vulnerabilities documented in Adobe Security Bulletins APSB12-22, indicating that attackers could leverage this specific flaw without relying on previously known exploitation techniques. The technical nature of the vulnerability involved improper memory handling that allowed attackers to manipulate memory structures and potentially execute malicious code with the privileges of the Flash Player process. The impact of this vulnerability extended across multiple platforms including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and various Android versions, making it particularly dangerous as it affected a wide range of devices and operating environments. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability aligns with common CWE classifications for memory safety issues, typically categorized under CWE-125 for out-of-bounds read conditions or CWE-787 for out-of-bounds write conditions. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represented a significant risk to enterprise environments where Flash Player was commonly used for multimedia content delivery, web applications, and interactive media. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability through malicious web pages or embedded Flash content, potentially leading to complete system compromise when users visited compromised websites. The vulnerability's presence in Adobe AIR and AIR SDK versions indicated that desktop applications built using these frameworks were also at risk, extending the attack surface beyond traditional web browser environments. Organizations needed to prioritize patching efforts across all affected platforms and versions, as the vulnerability could be exploited remotely without user interaction once a user visited an attacker-controlled website. The distinction from other Flash Player vulnerabilities in APSB12-22 suggests that this flaw required different exploitation techniques and was not part of the same class of memory corruption issues previously addressed in Adobe's security updates. This vulnerability highlighted the ongoing security challenges associated with Flash Player and underscored the importance of timely patch management and application security monitoring. The widespread nature of the affected platforms and versions required comprehensive security assessments and remediation strategies across enterprise networks, particularly in environments where legacy Flash content remained in active use.
The vulnerability's exploitation capabilities aligned with ATT&CK framework techniques for privilege escalation and code execution, specifically mapping to techniques involving memory corruption and remote code execution. Security professionals needed to implement network segmentation and web filtering controls to prevent access to potentially malicious Flash content while awaiting patch deployment. The cross-platform nature of the vulnerability required coordinated patch management across different operating systems and device types, emphasizing the complexity of maintaining security across heterogeneous environments. Organizations should have considered implementing additional security controls such as sandboxing mechanisms and privilege restriction policies to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's presence in both desktop and mobile operating systems demonstrated the comprehensive risk profile associated with Flash Player and highlighted the need for multi-layered security approaches. This particular vulnerability served as a reminder of the inherent risks associated with rich media applications and the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all software components in the attack surface.