CVE-2014-0491 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 11.7.700.260 and 11.8.x and 11.9.x before 12.0.0.38 on Windows and Mac OS X and before 11.2.202.335 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 4.0.0.1390, Adobe AIR SDK before 4.0.0.1390, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 4.0.0.1390 allow attackers to bypass unspecified protection mechanisms via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2021
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 11.7.700.260 and 11.8.x and 11.9.x before 12.0.0.38 on Windows and Mac OS X platforms, along with Adobe AIR versions before 4.0.0.1390 on various systems, contained a critical vulnerability that allowed attackers to bypass unspecified protection mechanisms through unknown vectors. This vulnerability represented a significant security flaw in Adobe's multimedia platform that had widespread implications across multiple operating systems and deployment scenarios. The flaw existed within the core security architecture of these applications, potentially enabling adversaries to circumvent essential sandboxing and access control measures that were designed to isolate Flash content execution from the underlying operating system. The vulnerability's classification as a bypass mechanism aligns with common security weaknesses identified in the CWE database, specifically relating to protection mechanism failures that allow unauthorized access to system resources or data. This weakness falls under the broader category of CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and demonstrates how inadequate security controls can be exploited to undermine the fundamental security model of applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was substantial given Flash Player's widespread deployment across enterprise networks and consumer environments. Attackers could potentially leverage this bypass mechanism to execute malicious code with elevated privileges, access restricted system resources, or perform unauthorized operations that would normally be prevented by the application's security model. The vulnerability's presence across multiple versions and platforms meant that organizations running older versions of Adobe's software were exposed to potential exploitation regardless of their operating system choice. Security researchers noted that the unspecified vectors suggested this could involve complex attack chains that might combine multiple exploitation techniques or target specific implementation details within the Flash Player architecture. The vulnerability's potential for cross-platform exploitation made it particularly dangerous as it could be leveraged against diverse computing environments simultaneously, complicating defensive measures and increasing the attack surface for malicious actors.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability needed to implement immediate remediation strategies to protect their systems from potential exploitation. The recommended mitigation approach involved updating to patched versions of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR across all affected platforms, with particular attention to the specific version numbers mentioned in the vulnerability description. Security teams should have prioritized patch deployment across enterprise environments, especially given the widespread use of Flash Player in web browsers and corporate applications. The vulnerability's nature as a protection mechanism bypass suggested that organizations needed to implement additional monitoring and detection measures to identify potential exploitation attempts, as traditional signature-based approaches might not adequately detect this type of attack. System administrators should have considered implementing network-based controls, such as content filtering and web application firewalls, to limit exposure while waiting for official patches. The ATT&CK framework's concept of privilege escalation and defense evasion tactics would have been particularly relevant for understanding how attackers might leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to system resources.
The broader implications of this vulnerability extended beyond immediate exploitation concerns to highlight ongoing security challenges in legacy software platforms. Adobe's Flash Player had been a long-standing target for attackers due to its complex architecture and extensive use across the internet, making vulnerabilities like CVE-2014-0491 particularly concerning for security professionals. The vulnerability's classification as affecting multiple versions and platforms demonstrated the difficulty of maintaining security across extended software lifecycles and the importance of timely patch management. Organizations that had not yet migrated away from Flash-based applications were particularly vulnerable to exploitation, as they faced the challenge of maintaining legacy systems while addressing security gaps in older software versions. The incident underscored the necessity for comprehensive vulnerability management programs that could effectively track and remediate security flaws across complex software ecosystems. Security professionals needed to evaluate their overall risk posture and consider alternative approaches to multimedia content delivery that did not rely on potentially vulnerable technologies like Flash Player.