CVE-2013-3348 in Shockwave Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Shockwave Player before 12.0.3.133 allows 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 • 12/26/2024
Adobe Shockwave Player version 12.0.3.133 and earlier contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or induce denial of service conditions. This vulnerability resides within the player's handling of malformed or specially crafted Shockwave content, which can be delivered through web browsers or standalone applications. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack surfaces within the player's codebase may be susceptible to exploitation, potentially including parsing of movie files, handling of external resources, or interaction with embedded scripting elements. The memory corruption aspect indicates that attacker-controlled input can overwrite critical memory locations, leading to unpredictable behavior that may be leveraged to execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected user. This vulnerability directly impacts the security posture of systems running affected Shockwave Player versions, as it provides a pathway for remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage or opening a compromised Shockwave file. The flaw represents a significant concern for enterprise environments where Shockwave content may be prevalent, as it could enable attackers to gain persistent access to systems, escalate privileges, or deploy additional malicious payloads. Organizations running vulnerable versions face potential exposure to advanced persistent threats that could leverage this vulnerability to establish backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or disrupt business operations. The memory corruption nature of this vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack tree framework, where memory safety issues often translate into exploitation opportunities for privilege escalation and code execution. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of keeping multimedia plugins updated, as legacy Shockwave Player installations continue to pose risks even when users are not actively interacting with Shockwave content. The issue requires immediate remediation through patching or complete removal of the affected software, as no reliable workarounds exist for this class of memory corruption vulnerability. Security teams should prioritize this vulnerability in their risk assessment frameworks, particularly when evaluating legacy system components that may still be in use within enterprise networks. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue places it within the broader context of software security weaknesses catalogued under CWE-119 and CWE-125, which specifically address memory safety and buffer overflow conditions. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and web application firewalls to limit potential attack vectors, while monitoring for exploitation attempts that may target this specific vulnerability. Given the nature of Shockwave Player's functionality and its integration with web browsers, this vulnerability represents a significant attack surface that requires comprehensive remediation strategies including user education, patch management, and security monitoring. The absence of specific exploit details in the CVE description does not diminish the severity of this vulnerability, as memory corruption flaws often have multiple exploitation pathways that can be discovered and weaponized by threat actors. This vulnerability exemplifies why organizations must maintain robust patch management processes and regularly audit their software inventory for legacy components that may present ongoing security risks. The impact extends beyond individual system compromise to potentially affect entire network infrastructures, particularly when Shockwave Player is deployed in environments where it may be used to process untrusted content from multiple sources.