CVE-2013-1383 in Shockwave Player
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Adobe Shockwave Player before 12.0.2.122 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2021
Adobe Shockwave Player version 12.0.2.122 and earlier contains a critical buffer overflow vulnerability that enables remote code execution attacks. This vulnerability resides in the player's handling of malformed multimedia content and occurs when processing specific Shockwave file structures that exceed allocated memory buffers. The flaw represents a classic stack-based buffer overflow condition where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and function pointers, ultimately allowing malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary code on affected systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper input validation within Shockwave Player's multimedia parsing routines. When the player encounters specially crafted Shockwave content containing oversized data structures, it fails to properly bounds-check buffer allocations before copying data into memory regions. This allows attackers to overwrite critical program execution flow control mechanisms, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability can be triggered through various attack vectors including web-based delivery of malicious Shockwave content, email attachments, or malicious websites that automatically attempt to load Shockwave player components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with persistent access to compromised systems. Security researchers have documented instances where this vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild, particularly targeting users who had older versions of Shockwave Player installed. The attack surface is broad since Shockwave Player was widely distributed and often automatically installed as part of other software packages, making the exploitation landscape particularly dangerous. Organizations that had not updated their Shockwave Player installations were vulnerable to attacks that could result in full system compromise, data exfiltration, and establishment of persistent backdoors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of Shockwave Player to version 12.0.2.122 or later, which contains the necessary memory bounds checking and input validation fixes. Network administrators should also implement web filtering solutions to block access to known malicious Shockwave content and consider disabling Shockwave Player entirely on systems where it is not required. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual network traffic patterns and unexpected process execution that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive asset inventories to identify all systems running vulnerable versions of Shockwave Player and prioritize remediation efforts accordingly. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 and CWE-125 categories related to stack-based and heap-based buffer overflows, and can be mapped to ATT&CK techniques involving exploitation of software vulnerabilities and privilege escalation.