CVE-2014-0585 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-2014-0584, CVE-2014-0586, and CVE-2014-0590.
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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 across multiple components, contained a critical type confusion vulnerability that enabled remote code execution attacks. This vulnerability specifically manifested in the Flash Player's handling of object types during runtime operations, creating conditions where attackers could manipulate memory structures through malformed input data. The flaw represented a distinct security issue separate from other contemporaneous vulnerabilities including CVE-2014-0577, CVE-2014-0584, CVE-2014-0586, and CVE-2014-0590, demonstrating the complexity of Flash Player's memory management systems. The type confusion vulnerability occurred when the player's ActionScript runtime failed to properly validate type information during object manipulation, allowing attackers to craft malicious SWF files that would cause the application to treat memory locations as incorrect data types.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leveraged fundamental weaknesses in Flash Player's object model implementation, where type checking mechanisms were insufficient to prevent attackers from manipulating object references and memory layouts. When a vulnerable Flash Player instance processed malicious content, the type confusion could result in memory corruption that attackers could then exploit to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Flash Player process. This vulnerability affected multiple operating systems including Windows and OS X platforms, as well as Linux systems running affected Adobe AIR versions, making it a widespread concern across different computing environments. The attack surface was particularly concerning given Flash Player's ubiquity in web browsers and its frequent use in enterprise environments, where the privilege escalation potential could lead to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was severe and far-reaching, as it provided attackers with a reliable method for achieving remote code execution on systems running vulnerable Flash Player versions. Security researchers noted that the vulnerability could be exploited through web-based attacks, where users would inadvertently encounter malicious SWF content while browsing the internet, making it particularly dangerous for widespread deployment. The affected versions spanned multiple release lines including major Flash Player versions and corresponding Adobe AIR implementations, creating a broad attack surface that required extensive patching efforts across organizations. Organizations that had not updated their systems to the patched versions remained vulnerable to attacks that could result in data theft, system compromise, and further lateral movement within networks. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-476 indicates a null pointer dereference scenario that could be leveraged for memory corruption, aligning with typical type confusion attack patterns documented in security literature.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of all affected Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR installations across all supported platforms. System administrators should have implemented comprehensive vulnerability management procedures to identify and remediate affected systems promptly, as the vulnerability could be exploited without user interaction through web browsers. Additional defensive measures included browser security configurations that restricted Flash Player execution, network-based filtering to block malicious SWF content, and endpoint protection solutions that could detect anomalous behavior patterns associated with exploitation attempts. Organizations should have also considered implementing web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to prevent access to known malicious Flash content. The vulnerability's exploitation required no user interaction once the malicious content was loaded, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where users frequently accessed untrusted websites. Security teams needed to monitor for indicators of compromise including unusual network connections, process execution patterns, and memory access anomalies that could signal exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining current security patches for third-party browser plugins and demonstrated the critical need for comprehensive vulnerability management programs that could address complex software ecosystems with multiple interdependent components.