CVE-2014-0584 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 by leveraging an unspecified "type confusion," a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-0577, CVE-2014-0585, CVE-2014-0586, and CVE-2014-0590.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
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, along with Adobe AIR versions before 15.0.0.356 and corresponding SDK versions, contained a critical type confusion vulnerability that enabled remote code execution. This vulnerability specifically manifested in the Flash Player's handling of data types during runtime operations, where the software failed to properly validate or enforce type boundaries when processing maliciously crafted content. The flaw represented a classic type confusion issue that falls under CWE-129, which describes improper handling of length parameters in a buffer. In the context of Flash Player, this vulnerability occurred when the application attempted to treat data as one type while it was actually structured as another, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory layout and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Flash Player process. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it was distinct from other related issues such as CVE-2014-0577, CVE-2014-0585, CVE-2014-0586, and CVE-2014-0590, indicating a separate code path that was not addressed by previous patches. Attackers could exploit this weakness by crafting malicious SWF files or web content that would trigger the type confusion during Flash Player's execution, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The operational impact was severe as Flash Player was widely deployed across Windows and OS X systems, making this vulnerability an attractive target for attackers seeking to establish persistent access to user systems. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Windows Script, as it enabled attackers to execute malicious code through the Flash Player runtime environment, while also supporting T1068 for local privilege escalation through memory corruption techniques. The vulnerability affected not only Flash Player but also Adobe AIR applications, which used the same underlying Flash Player engine, creating a broader attack surface for potential exploitation. The Linux version was also impacted, though the specific version numbers for the Linux platform were different, indicating that the vulnerability existed across multiple platforms within the Adobe ecosystem.
The technical implementation of this type confusion vulnerability involved the Flash Player's ActionScript virtual machine failing to properly validate object types during runtime operations. When processing malformed input data, the virtual machine would incorrectly interpret the data type of objects, allowing attackers to manipulate the memory layout and potentially overwrite critical function pointers or execute code in the context of the Flash Player process. This particular vulnerability was classified as a memory corruption issue that could be leveraged through web-based attacks, where users would inadvertently trigger the malicious content through standard web browsing activities. The exploitation required attackers to craft specific SWF files that would cause the Flash Player to perform operations on objects with incorrect type assumptions, leading to memory corruption that could be controlled to execute arbitrary instructions. The vulnerability's impact extended beyond individual system compromise as Flash Player's widespread adoption meant that successful exploitation could lead to large-scale attacks against enterprise networks. Security researchers noted that the vulnerability was particularly challenging to detect and prevent because it occurred at the runtime level within the Flash Player engine itself, making traditional network-based intrusion detection systems ineffective at identifying the attack patterns. The vulnerability was particularly concerning given that Flash Player was commonly used in enterprise environments and was often enabled by default in web browsers, providing attackers with multiple potential entry points for exploitation. The fix for this vulnerability required Adobe to implement additional type validation checks within the Flash Player's ActionScript virtual machine, ensuring that objects were properly validated before any operations were performed on them.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability focused primarily on immediate patching of affected systems, as the vulnerability was considered critical and had active exploit code available in the wild. Organizations needed to ensure that all instances of Adobe Flash Player, Adobe AIR, and corresponding SDK versions were updated to the patched releases. The vulnerability also highlighted the importance of implementing browser security measures such as disabling Flash Player entirely for users who did not require it, as well as deploying application whitelisting solutions that could prevent execution of untrusted Flash content. Security administrators should have implemented network-based protections such as web application firewalls that could detect and block malicious SWF files or content that triggered the vulnerability. The vulnerability also emphasized the need for comprehensive patch management processes, as the affected versions of Flash Player had been released for several months prior to the vulnerability disclosure, indicating that organizations needed to maintain up-to-date security patches across all Adobe products. Organizations should have also implemented monitoring solutions to detect attempts to access known vulnerable Flash Player versions, as well as established incident response procedures for handling potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrated the ongoing risks associated with legacy software components and the importance of maintaining security awareness around widely deployed applications that could serve as attack vectors for sophisticated adversaries. The specific nature of the vulnerability, combined with its widespread impact, made it a critical priority for security teams to address through both immediate remediation and longer-term security architecture improvements.