CVE-2014-0581 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
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 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-0576, CVE-2014-8440, and CVE-2014-8441.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2022
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 13.0.0.252 and 14.x and 15.x before 15.0.0.223 on Windows and OS X platforms, along with Adobe AIR versions before 15.0.0.356 and related SDK versions, contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution attacks. This vulnerability affected multiple platforms including Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux systems where Flash Player was installed. The flaw manifested as an unspecified vector that could be exploited by attackers to gain arbitrary code execution privileges or cause system-wide denial of service conditions. Security researchers identified this issue as distinct from related vulnerabilities CVE-2014-0576, CVE-2014-8440, and CVE-2014-8441, indicating it represented a separate attack surface with unique exploitation characteristics. The vulnerability primarily stemmed from improper memory handling within the Flash Player runtime environment, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures and execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected application. This type of memory corruption vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. The attack typically involved crafting malicious SWF files or web content that would trigger the memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable Flash Player component, potentially allowing attackers to bypass security restrictions and execute arbitrary commands on the target system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extended across enterprise networks where Flash Player was commonly deployed for multimedia content delivery, web applications, and rich internet applications. Organizations running affected versions faced significant risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and system compromise, particularly when users accessed malicious websites or opened compromised email attachments containing Flash content. The vulnerability's exploitation could result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or deploy additional malware payloads. Security analysts noted that the attack surface was particularly concerning due to Flash Player's widespread deployment across both desktop and mobile platforms, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals seeking to maximize their exploitation reach. The vulnerability's presence in Adobe AIR SDK versions also posed risks to developers and organizations creating AIR applications, as the same memory corruption issues could affect their development environments and deployed applications. This particular flaw demonstrated the ongoing challenges in securing rich media platforms and highlighted the importance of timely patch management for widely deployed software components.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of all affected Adobe Flash Player and AIR installations across enterprise environments. Organizations needed to implement comprehensive vulnerability management processes to identify and remediate all affected systems, including both end-user machines and server environments that might process Flash content. The recommended approach involved deploying the latest security patches from Adobe, which addressed the underlying memory corruption issues through improved memory handling and validation mechanisms. Security teams should have also implemented network monitoring to detect suspicious Flash-related traffic patterns and web content delivery that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additional defensive measures included disabling Flash Player in web browsers where possible, implementing content filtering solutions to block malicious SWF content, and establishing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. The vulnerability underscored the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security controls and highlighted the importance of following ATT&CK framework principles for defending against exploitation techniques. Organizations were advised to conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected versions, implement automated patch deployment mechanisms, and establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to address Flash-based exploitation attempts. The remediation process also required careful testing of patches in controlled environments before widespread deployment to ensure compatibility with existing applications and prevent unintended service disruptions.