CVE-2012-5278 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 10.3.183.43 and 11.x before 11.5.502.110 on Windows and Mac OS X, before 10.3.183.43 and 11.x before 11.2.202.251 on Linux, before 11.1.111.24 on Android 2.x and 3.x, and before 11.1.115.27 on Android 4.x; Adobe AIR before 3.5.0.600; and Adobe AIR SDK before 3.5.0.600 allow attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2021
Adobe Flash Player and AIR runtime environments contained a critical vulnerability that enabled attackers to bypass security restrictions and execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This vulnerability affected multiple platform versions including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and various Android versions, with different patch thresholds for each operating system. The flaw allowed unauthorized code execution by circumventing the intended access controls that normally prevent malicious actors from gaining system-level privileges through Flash content. The vulnerability was particularly concerning because Flash Player was widely deployed across enterprise and consumer environments, making the attack surface extremely broad. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability relates to improper restriction of operations within a software system, specifically involving access control mechanisms that should have prevented unauthorized code execution. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this as a privilege escalation technique where attackers leverage software flaws to gain elevated system permissions. The technical implementation of this vulnerability involved manipulating the Flash Player's security model to bypass sandbox restrictions that normally isolate Flash content from the underlying operating system. Attackers could exploit this weakness by crafting malicious Flash content that would execute with the privileges of the Flash Player process, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability existed across multiple versions because the security fixes were implemented inconsistently across different platform variants, with each operating system requiring specific patch thresholds to address the issue. Organizations using affected versions faced significant risk as Flash Player was commonly used to deliver web content, making exploitation likely through standard web browsing activities. The impact extended beyond individual user systems to enterprise environments where Flash Player was frequently used for business applications, training materials, and internal portals. Security researchers noted that the vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it could be exploited through web-based attacks without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The exploit typically involved leveraging memory corruption issues within the Flash Player runtime that allowed attackers to inject and execute malicious code in the context of the Flash Player process. Organizations needed to apply patches promptly across all affected platforms, as the vulnerability could be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious websites, email attachments, and compromised web applications that delivered Flash content. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of keeping multimedia runtime environments updated, as Flash Player's widespread use made it a prime target for attackers seeking to establish persistent access to systems. Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X users needed to update to specific patch versions while Linux users required different thresholds, demonstrating how platform-specific security implementations could create varying levels of exposure. Android users faced similar challenges with different patch requirements for various Android versions, indicating that the vulnerability affected multiple mobile and desktop operating system environments. The exploit could potentially be combined with other techniques to create more sophisticated attacks, such as using the initial compromise to establish a foothold for further reconnaissance and lateral movement within networks. Security teams needed to monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and endpoint detection systems that could identify malicious Flash content attempts. The vulnerability also emphasized the risks associated with legacy software support and the challenges of maintaining security across diverse platform ecosystems. Organizations implementing security controls had to ensure that all Flash Player installations were properly patched and that legacy Flash content was removed from systems where possible. The incident underscored the importance of comprehensive vulnerability management programs that could track and remediate issues across multiple software platforms and operating system variants. This vulnerability represented a significant risk to enterprise security posture and required coordinated patching efforts across all affected platforms to ensure complete protection against exploitation attempts.