CVE-2014-9164 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.259 and 14.x through 16.x before 16.0.0.235 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.425 on Linux allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-0587.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2022
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 13.0.0.259 on Windows and OS X and versions 14.x through 16.x before 16.0.0.235 on the same platforms contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution attacks. This vulnerability affected the player's handling of certain data structures during processing of multimedia content, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory layout and execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems. The flaw was distinct from CVE-2014-0587 and represented a separate but equally dangerous class of memory corruption issues that could be exploited through maliciously crafted flash content delivered via web browsers or other applications that embedded Flash Player functionality.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under CWE-119 Improper Access to Memory and CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write, both of which relate to improper handling of memory boundaries and buffer management within the Flash Player runtime environment. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability by crafting specially designed flash files that would trigger memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable player, potentially allowing them to overwrite critical memory locations and inject malicious code into the running process. The memory corruption occurred during the parsing and execution of multimedia content, specifically when handling certain data structures that were not properly validated or bounds-checked before memory allocation and access operations.
This vulnerability posed significant operational risks to organizations and individual users who had outdated Flash Player installations, as the attack surface was broad due to Flash Player's widespread deployment across web browsers and applications. The remote code execution capability meant that attackers could potentially gain full system control without requiring local access, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Flash Player was commonly used for web-based applications and multimedia content. The memory corruption could also result in denial of service conditions, causing applications to crash or become unresponsive, which could disrupt business operations and potentially be used as part of larger attack campaigns.
Organizations should have immediately implemented patch management procedures to upgrade to the fixed versions of Adobe Flash Player, specifically versions 13.0.0.259 and 16.0.0.235 respectively for Windows and OS X, and 11.2.202.425 for Linux platforms. System administrators should have also considered implementing network-level controls such as content filtering and web application firewalls to prevent access to potentially malicious flash content. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining current security patches for multimedia plugins and the need for comprehensive vulnerability management programs that could quickly identify and remediate such critical issues across enterprise environments. Security teams should have also considered implementing process monitoring and anomaly detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts through memory corruption attacks, as these vulnerabilities often manifested through unusual memory access patterns and process behavior that could be detected through proper monitoring.