CVE-2014-0574 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Double free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.252 and 14.x and 15.x before 15.0.0.223 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.418 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 15.0.0.356, Adobe AIR SDK before 15.0.0.356, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 15.0.0.356 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2022
The CVE-2014-0574 vulnerability represents a critical double free error in Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR platforms that affects multiple operating systems and software versions. This vulnerability resides within the memory management subsystem of these applications, specifically in how they handle memory allocation and deallocation processes. The flaw manifests when the software attempts to free the same memory block twice, creating a scenario where the memory management structures become corrupted and can be exploited by malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on affected systems.
This double free vulnerability falls under the CWE-415 category of "Double Free" within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, which specifically addresses situations where a program frees the same memory block twice. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to manipulate the heap memory structures in ways that can lead to code execution. The attack vectors remain unspecified in the original CVE description, but typically such vulnerabilities are exploited through crafted malicious content delivered via web browsers or other Flash-enabled applications that process untrusted data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple platforms including Windows, OS X, and Linux operating systems, affecting various version ranges of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR. The affected versions span from older releases of Flash Player through to specific AIR versions, indicating a widespread exposure across the Adobe ecosystem. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized code execution privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or the installation of additional malicious software. The vulnerability's presence in both Flash Player and AIR environments creates multiple attack surfaces, as AIR applications can execute on desktop systems and may be used in conjunction with Flash content.
Security researchers have classified this vulnerability as highly critical due to its potential for remote code execution and the widespread use of Adobe Flash Player across web browsers and applications. The exploitation of this vulnerability typically involves crafting malicious SWF files or web content that, when processed by the vulnerable software, triggers the double free condition in memory management. The memory corruption resulting from this flaw can be manipulated to redirect program execution flow, allowing attackers to inject and execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected application process. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems and consider implementing network-level controls to block Flash content from untrusted sources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-0574 should include immediate deployment of Adobe's security patches for Flash Player and AIR applications, as well as comprehensive system updates to address the underlying memory management issues. System administrators should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict Flash Player execution to trusted environments only. Network security controls such as content filtering and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security updates and proper memory management practices in preventing heap-based memory corruption exploits, aligning with ATT&CK techniques related to memory injection and privilege escalation. Organizations should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any remaining instances of vulnerable software and ensure complete remediation across their infrastructure.