CVE-2013-1386 in Shockwave Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Shockwave Player before 12.0.2.122 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2013-1384.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2021
Adobe Shockwave Player version 12.0.2.122 and earlier contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability represented a distinct security flaw from CVE-2013-1384, indicating separate code paths or implementation issues within the Shockwave Player runtime environment. The memory corruption flaw typically arises when the application fails to properly validate or sanitize input data before processing it in memory, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures and execute malicious code. Such vulnerabilities fall under the CWE-125 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions where programs access memory locations beyond their intended boundaries. The attack surface for this vulnerability extends across various Shockwave content delivery scenarios including web browsers, desktop applications, and embedded media players that utilize the Shockwave runtime. The exploitation of this flaw could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected user, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage, as attackers might leverage the executed code to establish persistent access or escalate privileges. The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to include full system compromise, making it a high-severity threat for organizations that continue to use legacy Shockwave Player installations. Organizations relying on Shockwave content delivery must understand that this vulnerability represents a significant risk due to the widespread use of Shockwave Player in enterprise environments and the difficulty of completely eliminating Shockwave content from legacy systems.
The technical nature of this memory corruption vulnerability indicates that attackers could manipulate input parameters or data streams that Shockwave Player processes, leading to buffer overflows, heap corruption, or stack corruption scenarios. These memory corruption issues typically occur when the player fails to validate the size or content of incoming data before attempting to store or process it in memory. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack paths exist, potentially including malformed Shockwave files, malicious web content, or specially crafted media streams that trigger the memory corruption during normal player operation. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw means that attackers do not require local system access to exploit it, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. This type of vulnerability is commonly associated with the CWE-787 weakness category, which encompasses out-of-bounds writes that can result in memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1203, which covers exploitation for client execution, indicating that the attack occurs through the execution of malicious code on the target system. The security implications extend to organizations that maintain legacy Shockwave Player installations, as these systems represent persistent attack vectors that could be exploited by threat actors targeting specific enterprise environments. The vulnerability's presence in versions prior to 12.0.2.122 highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and the risks associated with continuing to use unsupported software versions in enterprise environments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action to upgrade Shockwave Player to version 12.0.2.122 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address the memory corruption issues. Organizations should implement comprehensive software inventory management to identify all systems running affected Shockwave Player versions and prioritize their remediation. Network-based defenses including web application firewalls and content filtering solutions can help reduce exposure by blocking malicious Shockwave content from reaching vulnerable systems. Security teams should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict the execution of Shockwave Player unless explicitly authorized for specific business functions. The remediation process must include thorough testing of updated Shockwave Player versions to ensure compatibility with existing Shockwave content and applications. Additionally, organizations should conduct security awareness training for users to recognize potentially malicious Shockwave content and report suspicious activities. System administrators should monitor network traffic for indicators of exploitation attempts and implement intrusion detection systems to identify potential attacks targeting this vulnerability. The vulnerability's nature as a memory corruption flaw makes it particularly challenging to defend against through traditional network security measures, requiring a layered approach that combines software updates with operational security controls. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in other legacy software components that may represent comparable risk profiles. The implementation of these mitigation strategies should be part of a broader vulnerability management program that addresses the full spectrum of legacy software security issues within the organization.