CVE-2012-5678 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 10.3.183.48 and 11.x before 11.5.502.135 on Windows, before 10.3.183.48 and 11.x before 11.5.502.136 on Mac OS X, before 10.3.183.48 and 11.x before 11.2.202.258 on Linux, before 11.1.111.29 on Android 2.x and 3.x, and before 11.1.115.34 on Android 4.x; Adobe AIR before 3.5.0.880 on Windows and before 3.5.0.890 on Mac OS X; and Adobe AIR SDK before 3.5.0.880 on Windows and before 3.5.0.890 on Mac OS X allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2021
Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR versions prior to specified patches contain a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution and denial of service attacks. This vulnerability affects multiple operating systems including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and various Android versions, indicating a widespread impact across the Adobe ecosystem. The flaw exists in the way these applications handle certain data structures during processing, leading to unpredictable memory behavior that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized system access or disrupt service availability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the Flash Player and AIR runtime environments. Attackers can craft malicious content that triggers memory corruption when the affected software processes specific Flash objects or media files. This type of vulnerability typically falls under the CWE-119 weakness category, which encompasses memory safety issues including buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, and other memory corruption scenarios. The exploitation mechanism likely involves manipulating input data to overwrite memory regions that control program execution flow, potentially allowing attackers to inject and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the running Flash process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation as it affects a widely deployed technology that was integral to web browsing experiences across numerous platforms. Organizations relying on Flash content for multimedia applications, web applications, and digital media delivery faced significant risk exposure. The vulnerability's presence across multiple operating systems and device types meant that defensive measures had to be comprehensive and multi-layered. Security teams needed to prioritize patching efforts across all affected platforms while implementing network-based protections such as content filtering and sandboxing measures to limit potential attack surface.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patch deployment across all affected systems, with particular attention to the specific version numbers mentioned in the advisory. Organizations should have implemented network segmentation to limit Flash content delivery and utilized browser security features such as Flash blocking or sandboxing capabilities. The remediation process involved not only updating the core Flash Player and AIR runtime components but also ensuring that all development environments using Adobe AIR SDK were properly patched. Security monitoring and incident response procedures needed to be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, while system administrators should have implemented comprehensive vulnerability management processes to prevent similar issues in the future. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and the risks associated with legacy technologies that continue to receive limited security support.