CVE-2014-0582 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow 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, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-0589.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0582 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow flaw in Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR runtime environments. This security issue affects multiple versions across different operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms, with specific version ranges indicating the affected releases. The vulnerability resides in the heap memory management subsystem of the Flash Player runtime, where improper bounds checking allows malicious input to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The flaw manifests when the application processes malformed data structures that trigger buffer overflow conditions during memory allocation and data handling operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted malicious content that leverages the buffer overflow to overwrite critical memory segments including return addresses, function pointers, or other control data structures. Attackers can manipulate the heap memory layout to redirect execution flow to malicious code injected into the process memory space. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 heap-based buffer overflow category, which specifically addresses buffer overflows occurring in heap-allocated memory regions rather than stack-based buffers. The attack vector typically involves web-based delivery mechanisms where users browse to malicious websites containing specially crafted flash content that triggers the vulnerable code path.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-0582 extends beyond simple code execution capabilities to represent a complete compromise of affected systems. Successful exploitation allows attackers to gain arbitrary code execution privileges within the context of the Flash Player process, potentially enabling full system compromise through privilege escalation techniques. The vulnerability affects both desktop and mobile platforms, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where Flash Player remains widely deployed. Organizations using older versions of Adobe AIR and AIR SDK are equally at risk since these components share the same underlying runtime vulnerabilities. The specific version ranges indicate that patches were released to address this issue, with Adobe issuing updates to versions 13.0.0.252, 14.x, 15.x, and their respective Linux counterparts.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate remediation through patch management and system updates. Organizations should prioritize deployment of Adobe's security patches for Flash Player and AIR runtime components across all affected systems. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls, content filtering solutions, and disabling Flash Player plugin execution in web browsers where possible. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for Windows Command Shell execution, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to execute system commands through the compromised Flash runtime. Network segmentation and privilege separation strategies can help limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, while regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should identify remaining unpatched systems. The vulnerability demonstrates the persistent risk associated with legacy software components and the importance of maintaining current security patches across all runtime environments.