CVE-2015-3089 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.289 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.188 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.460 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 17.0.0.172, Adobe AIR SDK before 17.0.0.172, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 17.0.0.172 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-3078, CVE-2015-3090, and CVE-2015-3093.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2025
Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR versions prior to specified patches contain a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote code execution and denial of service attacks. This vulnerability affects multiple product versions across different operating systems including Windows, OS X, and Linux platforms. The flaw manifests through unspecified attack vectors that differ from other contemporaneous vulnerabilities in the same vulnerability family. The memory corruption issue arises from improper handling of certain data structures within the Flash Player runtime environment, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory contents and execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected application. The vulnerability impacts both the standalone Flash Player application and the Adobe AIR runtime environment used for developing and executing rich internet applications. Attackers can leverage this weakness to inject and execute arbitrary code on targeted systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The memory corruption occurs during normal processing of Flash content, making exploitation relatively straightforward for attackers who can deliver malicious Flash files through web browsers or other Flash-enabled applications. This vulnerability represents a significant threat to enterprise environments where Flash Player remains widely deployed, as it allows attackers to bypass traditional security controls and gain unauthorized access to systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common software security weaknesses identified in the CWE database, specifically relating to memory safety issues and buffer overflows that can result in arbitrary code execution. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with heap corruption vulnerabilities where improper memory management allows attackers to overwrite critical program data structures or execute code in memory locations controlled by the attacker. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations that continue to support Flash-based applications, as it provides attackers with a reliable method for achieving persistent access to target systems. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the Adobe AIR SDK and runtime environments, indicating that the flaw exists at a fundamental level within the Flash processing engine rather than being isolated to specific product variants. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to include full system compromise, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where Flash remains in use for legacy applications. Security researchers have documented similar patterns in other Adobe Flash vulnerabilities, where memory corruption issues provide attackers with the foundation for more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation and persistent backdoor installation.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of all affected Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR installations across their enterprise networks to mitigate this vulnerability. The recommended remediation involves updating to the latest versions of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR that contain fixes for this specific memory corruption issue. System administrators should implement comprehensive inventory management to identify all systems running affected versions of the software, including legacy applications that may still depend on Flash Player functionality. Network security controls should be enhanced to monitor for suspicious Flash content delivery and block known malicious Flash files from entering the network environment. Security teams should conduct vulnerability assessments to determine if any systems remain exposed to this vulnerability despite patching efforts, particularly focusing on endpoints that may have been missed during initial remediation. The vulnerability's impact on both Windows and OS X platforms requires cross-platform security measures, while the Linux-specific version requires attention to ensure complete coverage of all affected systems. Regular security monitoring should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts, as this vulnerability has been actively targeted by threat actors in the wild. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of Flash content in environments where it is not strictly required for business operations. The remediation process should include verification procedures to confirm successful patch deployment and testing of affected applications to ensure compatibility with updated software versions.