CVE-2015-3040 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 does not properly restrict discovery of memory addresses, which allows attackers to bypass the ASLR protection mechanism via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-0357.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2022
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 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 contained a critical vulnerability that undermined fundamental memory protection mechanisms. This flaw specifically targeted the Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) security feature, which is designed to randomize the memory layout of processes to prevent attackers from predicting memory addresses. The vulnerability allowed malicious actors to discover memory addresses through unspecified vectors, effectively nullifying the ASLR protection that is essential for modern exploit mitigation. This weakness falls under the CWE-122 category of improper restriction of operations within a bounded buffer, though it specifically manifests as an information disclosure vulnerability that compromises memory layout randomization. The attack vector exploited by this vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it enables attackers to bypass multiple layers of security protection that are fundamental to operating system security models. This issue represents a distinct vulnerability from CVE-2015-0357, indicating that multiple memory disclosure flaws existed within the Flash Player codebase. The operational impact of this vulnerability was severe as it provided attackers with the capability to perform more sophisticated attacks such as return-oriented programming (ROP) chains and other advanced exploitation techniques that rely on predictable memory addresses. Attackers could leverage this information disclosure to craft more effective exploits against systems running vulnerable Flash Player versions, making the exploitation of other vulnerabilities within the same system much more likely. The vulnerability was particularly concerning for enterprise environments where Flash Player was widely deployed, as it essentially removed one of the primary defenses against memory-based attacks. Organizations running affected versions of Flash Player were at significant risk of compromise, especially when combined with other vulnerabilities that could be exploited through the bypassed ASLR protections. This vulnerability also highlighted the broader security challenges associated with legacy software components that contain complex memory management systems, as demonstrated by the persistent issues in Flash Player's security model. The flaw was addressed through updates that properly restricted memory address discovery mechanisms and restored effective ASLR functionality, emphasizing the critical importance of timely security patching for widely deployed software components. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and defense evasion, as it enabled attackers to circumvent operating system security controls and create more persistent access to compromised systems. The incident underscored the importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls and the dangers of relying on deprecated software components that may contain known vulnerabilities. Organizations were advised to immediately update to patched versions of Flash Player and to implement additional monitoring for suspicious memory access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also demonstrated how seemingly minor security flaws in complex software systems could have cascading effects on overall system security posture, particularly when multiple layers of protection are compromised. This particular issue served as a reminder of the critical role that proper memory management and security controls play in defending against modern exploitation techniques that rely on predictable system behavior.