CVE-2012-5673 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability 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 has unknown impact and attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2024
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 10.3.183.29 on Windows and Mac OS X, 11.x versions before 11.4.402.287 on Windows and Mac OS X, 10.3.183.29 versions on Linux, 11.x versions before 11.2.202.243 on Linux, 11.1.111.19 versions on Android 2.x and 3.x, 11.1.115.20 versions on Android 4.x, Adobe AIR versions before 3.4.0.2710, and Adobe AIR SDK versions before 3.4.0.2710 contain an unspecified vulnerability that represents a critical security risk for affected systems. This vulnerability exists within the core Flash Player runtime environment and affects multiple operating systems and platforms, indicating a widespread exposure across the Adobe ecosystem. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability classification suggests that the exact technical flaw remains undetermined, though the scope of affected versions and platforms indicates a fundamental security weakness in the software's processing mechanisms. The vulnerability's presence in both Flash Player and AIR environments demonstrates a systemic issue that could potentially allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on target systems through compromised Flash content.
The technical implications of this vulnerability extend across multiple attack surfaces given the widespread use of Flash Player in web browsers and the integration of AIR applications in enterprise environments. The vulnerability could potentially be exploited through malicious web pages, embedded Flash content, or compromised applications that utilize the affected versions of Adobe's runtime environments. Attackers might leverage this weakness to bypass security controls, escalate privileges, or establish persistent access to compromised systems. The cross-platform nature of the vulnerability, affecting Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and various Android versions, suggests that the underlying flaw exists in core processing logic that is shared across these platforms. This characteristic aligns with common attack patterns identified in the attack tree framework where vulnerabilities in foundational software components can provide attackers with multiple exploitation pathways.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on Flash-based applications and content, particularly in enterprise environments where legacy systems may still utilize outdated Flash Player versions. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability's impact means that organizations cannot fully assess the potential damage that could occur, making risk assessment and incident response planning more challenging. The vulnerability's presence in both desktop and mobile platforms indicates that organizations must consider comprehensive patch management strategies across their entire IT infrastructure. Security teams face the additional challenge of identifying all potentially affected systems and applications that might utilize the vulnerable Flash Player or AIR components, requiring extensive inventory management and vulnerability scanning activities. The attack vectors remain unknown, which means traditional defensive measures based on known exploit patterns may be ineffective, forcing security professionals to implement broader monitoring and detection strategies.
Organizations should implement immediate patching strategies targeting the specific version ranges mentioned in the vulnerability description to mitigate the risk. The remediation process requires careful coordination between IT departments and security teams to ensure that all affected systems receive updates without disrupting critical business operations. Security controls should include network monitoring for suspicious Flash-related traffic patterns and web content delivery filtering to prevent access to potentially malicious Flash content. Implementation of the principle of least privilege should be reinforced, limiting Flash Player functionality in web browsers and restricting AIR application deployment to trusted sources only. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified aligns with common patterns found in the attack framework where initial exploitation may not reveal the full scope of capabilities available to attackers, making comprehensive security assessments essential for proper risk mitigation and incident response planning. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted Flash content and establish incident response procedures specifically tailored for Flash-based vulnerabilities.