CVE-2013-0649 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 10.3.183.63 and 11.x before 11.6.602.168 on Windows, before 10.3.183.61 and 11.x before 11.6.602.167 on Mac OS X, before 10.3.183.61 and 11.x before 11.2.202.270 on Linux, before 11.1.111.43 on Android 2.x and 3.x, and before 11.1.115.47 on Android 4.x; Adobe AIR before 3.6.0.597; and Adobe AIR SDK before 3.6.0.599 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2013-0644 and CVE-2013-1374.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/05/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0649 represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR runtime environments across multiple operating systems and platforms. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of Use After Free, where memory that has been freed is accessed, potentially leading to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The flaw affects a wide range of Adobe products including Flash Player versions prior to 10.3.183.63 on Windows, 10.3.183.61 on Mac OS X, 10.3.183.61 on Linux, and various Android versions, along with Adobe AIR and AIR SDK components. The vulnerability's impact extends across multiple attack surfaces due to Flash Player's widespread deployment in web browsers and its role in executing multimedia content.
Technical exploitation of this use-after-free vulnerability occurs when malicious actors craft specially crafted Flash content that triggers memory management issues during object deallocation. When Flash Player processes malformed or malicious SWF files, the application may free memory associated with certain objects while still maintaining references to that memory location. Attackers can leverage this condition to overwrite memory contents with malicious code, potentially leading to privilege escalation and full system compromise. The vulnerability's exploitation techniques align with the ATT&CK framework's T1059.007 sub-technique for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting the Windows Command Shell and similar execution environments. The memory corruption patterns observed in this vulnerability resemble those commonly exploited in browser-based attacks, making it particularly dangerous in web environments where users frequently encounter Flash content.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-0649 extends beyond simple code execution to encompass significant security risks for enterprise environments and individual users. Organizations relying on Flash Player for web applications, multimedia presentations, or legacy content are particularly vulnerable since the vulnerability can be exploited through standard web browsing activities without requiring user interaction beyond visiting malicious websites. The cross-platform nature of the vulnerability means that attack surface is extensive, affecting desktop operating systems, mobile platforms, and various runtime environments. Security analysts have noted that this vulnerability was frequently targeted in zero-day attacks and advanced persistent threat campaigns, often leveraging the widespread deployment of Flash Player to deliver malware payloads including information stealers, remote access trojans, and privilege escalation tools. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise security defenses that may not be actively monitoring for such attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-0649 primarily focus on immediate patch deployment and operational security measures to reduce attack surface. Organizations should prioritize updating Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR to their patched versions, with the specific versions mentioned in the vulnerability description serving as baseline requirements for remediation. System administrators should implement network-based controls including web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block access to known malicious Flash content and domains. The implementation of sandboxing technologies and browser security features such as Adobe's own Protected Mode can significantly reduce the impact of successful exploitation attempts. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify systems running unpatched Flash Player versions and implement temporary workarounds such as disabling Flash plugin execution in web browsers. The vulnerability's characteristics make it particularly suitable for defense-in-depth strategies that combine multiple mitigation techniques including endpoint protection, network monitoring, and user education to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation.