CVE-2012-5269 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 • 12/29/2024
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to specific patches 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. Additionally, Adobe AIR versions before 3.4.0.2710 and AIR SDK versions before 3.4.0.2710 were also impacted by this vulnerability. The flaw represented a distinct memory corruption issue separate from other vulnerabilities documented in Adobe's security bulletin APSB12-22, indicating that attackers could exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary code or cause system crashes through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-119 weakness category, which encompasses memory corruption issues that allow attackers to manipulate memory locations and potentially execute malicious code. The attack surface was particularly broad due to Flash Player's widespread adoption across multiple platforms and operating systems, making it a prime target for exploit development. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability created significant risk for organizations relying on Flash-based content, as successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or service disruption. The memory corruption nature of the vulnerability meant that attackers could potentially overwrite critical memory structures, leading to arbitrary code execution or system instability. This particular vulnerability was classified as a remote code execution threat due to its ability to be triggered through web-based attacks, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently accessed untrusted web content. Organizations implementing mitigation strategies needed to consider the comprehensive scope of affected platforms and versions, as the vulnerability spanned multiple operating systems and required different patch versions for each platform. The attack pattern aligned with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the execution and privilege escalation domains, where attackers could leverage memory corruption to gain unauthorized system access. Given the widespread use of Flash Player in web browsers and applications, this vulnerability posed a substantial risk to enterprise security environments and required immediate patching across all affected systems to prevent exploitation. The complexity of the vulnerability stemmed from its manifestation across multiple platforms with different patch requirements, complicating remediation efforts for organizations managing diverse computing environments. Security professionals needed to prioritize this vulnerability due to its potential for remote code execution and the fact that it affected widely deployed software components. The vulnerability's impact extended beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as memory corruption issues often provided attackers with opportunities to escalate privileges and establish persistent access to compromised systems.