CVE-2015-0315 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.269 and 14.x through 16.x before 16.0.0.305 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.442 on Linux allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-0313, CVE-2015-0320, and CVE-2015-0322.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2022
The CVE-2015-0315 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player affecting multiple version ranges across different operating systems. This vulnerability exists in Flash Player versions prior to 13.0.0.269 for Windows and OS X, versions before 16.0.0.305 for Windows and OS X, and versions before 11.2.202.442 for Linux. The flaw allows attackers to execute arbitrary code through unspecified attack vectors that differ from related vulnerabilities including CVE-2015-0313, CVE-2015-0320, and CVE-2015-0322. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software systems. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to enterprise environments as Flash Player was widely deployed across corporate networks and user endpoints, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking persistent access to systems.
The technical exploitation of this use-after-free vulnerability occurs when the Flash Player application attempts to access memory that has already been freed by the system's memory management routines. This particular flaw manifests in the way Flash Player handles memory allocation and deallocation within its runtime environment, particularly affecting how it manages objects and resources during multimedia processing operations. The unspecified vectors suggest that attackers could leverage various attack surfaces within the Flash Player runtime, potentially through malicious web content, embedded media files, or crafted SWF files that trigger the vulnerable code path. The vulnerability's presence in multiple version ranges indicates a fundamental flaw in the memory management implementation that persisted across different release streams of the Flash Player software.
Security researchers have identified that this vulnerability enables attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the Flash Player process, which typically runs with user-level privileges but could potentially be escalated through additional attack vectors. The impact extends beyond simple code execution as it provides attackers with a foothold for further exploitation, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would likely map to techniques such as T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. Organizations running affected versions of Flash Player face significant exposure as this vulnerability could be exploited through drive-by downloads, malicious websites, or compromised web applications that leverage Flash content.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including disabling Flash Player in web browsers where possible, updating to patched versions of Flash Player, and implementing network-level controls to block Flash content from untrusted sources. The recommended remediation approach involves deploying the latest security patches from Adobe, which address the specific memory management issues that lead to the use-after-free condition. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing sandboxing controls for Flash Player execution, monitoring network traffic for suspicious Flash-related activities, and conducting comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected versions of the software. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against zero-day exploits targeting widely deployed applications.