CVE-2014-0569 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.250 and 14.x and 15.x before 15.0.0.189 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.411 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 15.0.0.293, Adobe AIR SDK before 15.0.0.302, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 15.0.0.302 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0569 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR runtime environments. This security weakness affects multiple versions across different operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of integer values during memory allocation processes, creating conditions where attackers can manipulate integer variables to exceed their maximum representable values. Such overflow conditions can lead to unpredictable behavior in memory management, potentially allowing malicious actors to overwrite adjacent memory locations and execute arbitrary code. The flaw manifests in both the standalone Flash Player application and the Adobe AIR runtime environment, which is used for developing and running rich internet applications. The vulnerability impacts not only end-user installations but also developers using Adobe AIR SDKs for application development, making it a widespread concern across the Adobe ecosystem.
The technical exploitation of this integer overflow vulnerability occurs when Flash Player or AIR processes user-supplied data that contains malformed integer values. When these values exceed the maximum capacity of their designated integer types, the system's memory allocation logic becomes compromised. This overflow can result in heap-based buffer overflows where attacker-controlled data is written beyond the bounds of allocated memory regions. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple attack surfaces within the Flash Player and AIR runtime can be leveraged to trigger this condition. Attackers typically craft malicious SWF files or web content that, when processed by the vulnerable runtime, causes integer overflow during memory operations. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because it allows for remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage or opening a compromised file. This characteristic places the vulnerability in the category of zero-day exploits that can be weaponized through drive-by downloads or malicious web campaigns.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-0569 extends beyond simple exploitation to encompass significant security risks for organizations and individual users. Enterprises relying on Flash-based content for internal applications, training materials, or web-based services face potential compromise of their entire network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects not just web browsers but also desktop applications that utilize Flash Player components, creating multiple attack vectors for threat actors. Security researchers have classified this issue under CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow conditions that can lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions of Adobe's software products creates a complex remediation challenge for system administrators who must ensure all affected installations are updated across different platforms and deployment scenarios. Organizations using legacy Flash content or those unable to immediately migrate away from Flash technology remain particularly vulnerable to attacks exploiting this flaw.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-0569 focus primarily on immediate remediation through software updates and comprehensive system hardening measures. Adobe released patched versions of Flash Player and AIR runtime environments that address the integer overflow conditions through proper integer bounds checking and memory management. System administrators should prioritize immediate deployment of these patches across all affected systems, including servers, workstations, and mobile devices that may process Flash content. The mitigation approach aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques related to defense evasion and privilege escalation, as attackers leveraging this vulnerability could potentially escalate privileges or bypass security controls. Network administrators should implement additional monitoring and filtering measures to detect and block malicious Flash content, particularly in environments where immediate patching is not feasible. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing technologies and browser security controls that can prevent exploitation even if patches are not immediately deployed. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-190 emphasizes the importance of input validation and integer overflow prevention in software development practices, making it a critical lesson for developers working with memory-sensitive applications. Long-term security posture improvements should include comprehensive migration away from Flash technology and adoption of modern web standards that do not present similar memory corruption vulnerabilities.