CVE-2015-0360 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.281 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.169 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.457 on Linux allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-0347, CVE-2015-0350, CVE-2015-0352, CVE-2015-0353, CVE-2015-0354, CVE-2015-0355, CVE-2015-3038, CVE-2015-3041, CVE-2015-3042, and CVE-2015-3043.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2022
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 13.0.0.281 on Windows and OS X and versions 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.169 on the same platforms as well as versions before 11.2.202.457 on Linux contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that could be exploited to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions. This vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw from several other related issues including CVE-2015-0347 through CVE-2015-3043, indicating that attackers could leverage this specific weakness without relying on previously known attack vectors. The memory corruption issue stems from improper handling of certain data structures within the Flash Player runtime environment, creating opportunities for malicious actors to manipulate memory contents through crafted input. The vulnerability's impact extends across multiple operating systems and Flash Player versions, making it particularly dangerous as it affects both desktop and server environments where Flash Player remains active. This type of memory corruption vulnerability typically falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, or CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflows, both of which are common entry points for privilege escalation attacks. From an operational security perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk because it allows for remote code execution, enabling attackers to gain complete control over affected systems. The attack surface is broad since Flash Player was widely deployed across enterprise networks and consumer environments, making the exploitation potential substantial. Security researchers have classified this as a zero-day vulnerability that could be weaponized using techniques described in the attack tactics and techniques framework, particularly those involving memory corruption exploitation methods. The vulnerability's exploitation typically involves crafting malicious Flash content that triggers the memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable Flash Player version. This attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which describes the use of scripting languages for execution, and T1068, which covers exploit for privilege escalation. Organizations using affected Flash Player versions faced severe operational risks including data breaches, system compromise, and potential lateral movement within their networks. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple Flash Player versions and operating systems demonstrates the complexity of patch management in enterprise environments where legacy applications continue to operate. This particular flaw was particularly concerning because it could be triggered through web browsers without requiring user interaction beyond visiting malicious websites, making it an ideal candidate for drive-by download attacks. The memory corruption nature of this vulnerability means that successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, as attackers could inject malicious code directly into the memory space of the Flash Player process. The affected versions spanned multiple major releases, indicating that the underlying memory management flaw was not properly addressed in the development cycle. Security professionals noted that this vulnerability could be combined with other attack techniques to create more sophisticated exploitation chains, potentially allowing for privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms. The patching process for this vulnerability required careful coordination across enterprise environments, as many organizations had legacy systems where updating Flash Player was not straightforward. The vulnerability's impact on both Windows and OS X platforms demonstrated the cross-platform nature of Flash Player security issues, which had broader implications for enterprise security policies and application whitelisting strategies. Organizations needed to implement immediate mitigation strategies including disabling Flash Player in browsers, implementing network-based controls, and deploying endpoint protection solutions to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue also highlighted the ongoing security challenges associated with legacy multimedia frameworks that continue to receive security updates despite their declining usage. This particular CVE represents a critical security gap that required immediate attention from security teams and system administrators across all affected environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involved flaws in Flash Player's memory management subsystem, where improper bounds checking and memory allocation routines could be manipulated by attackers to overwrite critical memory locations. The vulnerability's exploitation required precise control over memory layout and data structures, indicating that attackers needed to understand the underlying Flash Player architecture to successfully leverage this weakness. This type of exploitation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers scripting and programming language execution, as Flash Player's ActionScript runtime environment could be manipulated through malicious content. The memory corruption occurred during normal processing of Flash content, making detection particularly challenging as legitimate Flash applications might appear to function normally while harboring malicious payloads. Security researchers identified that the vulnerability could be triggered through various attack vectors including embedded Flash content in web pages, email attachments, or other delivery mechanisms that could cause Flash Player to process malicious input. The vulnerability's presence across multiple Flash Player versions indicated that the underlying memory management issues were fundamental to the player's architecture rather than isolated implementation errors. Organizations implementing security controls needed to consider both network-level protections and endpoint detection capabilities, as traditional signature-based approaches might not effectively identify this type of memory corruption attack. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue also highlighted the broader security implications of legacy multimedia frameworks that continue to operate in enterprise environments despite their inherent security risks. This vulnerability demonstrated the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches for legacy applications and the challenges of managing security across diverse operating system platforms. The attack surface for this vulnerability extended beyond simple web browsing to include any application or environment where Flash Player was installed and active, making comprehensive security coverage essential for effective protection. The vulnerability's exploitation required careful crafting of malicious content that could bypass standard browser security controls and directly manipulate the Flash Player runtime environment. This particular security flaw underscored the need for robust application sandboxing and memory protection mechanisms that could prevent exploitation even when underlying applications contained security vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's impact was amplified by the widespread deployment of Flash Player across enterprise networks, where a single compromised system could potentially lead to broader security incidents and data breaches.