CVE-2013-1365 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow 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-2013-0642, CVE-2013-0645, CVE-2013-1366, CVE-2013-1367, CVE-2013-1368, CVE-2013-1369, CVE-2013-1370, CVE-2013-1372, and CVE-2013-1373.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/05/2021
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to specific patches contained a critical buffer overflow vulnerability that enabled remote code execution attacks. This vulnerability affected multiple operating systems including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and various Android versions, demonstrating the widespread impact of the flaw across different platforms. The vulnerability existed in both Flash Player and Adobe AIR runtime environments, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors. The buffer overflow occurred due to improper input validation and memory management within the Flash Player processing pipeline, allowing attackers to craft malicious content that would trigger the overflow condition when executed by the vulnerable software.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leveraged memory corruption techniques that could be triggered through specially crafted SWF files or web content that Flash Player would attempt to process. Attackers could leverage this flaw to inject and execute arbitrary code on affected systems with the privileges of the Flash Player process. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and represents a classic example of how improper memory management can lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it required no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website or opening a malicious file, making it suitable for drive-by download attacks. The exploit could potentially bypass security mechanisms such as DEP and ASLR on vulnerable systems, depending on the specific target environment and patch level.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-1365 was severe and widespread across enterprise networks and individual user systems. Organizations running unpatched Flash Player installations faced significant risk of compromise, as the vulnerability could be exploited through standard web browsing activities without any special privileges or user awareness. The attack vector was particularly insidious because it could be delivered through legitimate web content that would trigger the vulnerable Flash Player functionality. Security researchers noted that this vulnerability was often used in conjunction with other exploits to create multi-stage attack chains, where the initial buffer overflow would establish a foothold for additional malicious activities. The vulnerability's presence in Adobe AIR applications extended the attack surface beyond traditional web browsers to include desktop applications that utilized the AIR runtime environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of all affected Adobe Flash Player and AIR installations across all supported platforms. Organizations should have implemented network-based protections such as content filtering and web application firewalls to prevent access to known malicious content. Security teams needed to conduct comprehensive inventory audits to identify all systems running vulnerable versions of Flash Player and AIR, particularly focusing on legacy systems that might not receive automatic updates. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date software security practices and implementing robust patch management procedures. Organizations should have also considered implementing additional security controls such as sandboxing Flash Player processes, disabling Flash Player in web browsers, or using alternative content delivery methods that did not rely on vulnerable Flash technology. This vulnerability demonstrated the critical importance of timely security updates and the potential consequences of delaying patch deployment in enterprise environments.