CVE-2015-3108 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.292 and 14.x through 18.x before 18.0.0.160 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.466 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 18.0.0.144 on Windows and before 18.0.0.143 on OS X and Android, Adobe AIR SDK before 18.0.0.144 on Windows and before 18.0.0.143 on OS X, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 18.0.0.144 on Windows and before 18.0.0.143 on OS X do not properly restrict discovery of memory addresses, which allows attackers to bypass the ASLR protection mechanism via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/20/2022
Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR products contained a critical vulnerability that undermined fundamental memory protection mechanisms on multiple platforms. This vulnerability specifically affected versions prior to the mentioned patches across Windows, OS X, and Linux operating systems. The flaw allowed attackers to bypass Address Space Layout Randomization, a core security feature designed to prevent memory corruption attacks by randomizing memory addresses. The vulnerability was classified under CWE-122 as an improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer, which directly compromised the security of the affected systems. This weakness enabled attackers to discover memory addresses through unspecified vectors that were not properly restricted during the execution of Flash Player or AIR applications. The impact of this vulnerability was particularly severe as it undermined one of the most fundamental security protections against exploitation techniques such as return-oriented programming and other advanced attack methods that rely on predictable memory layouts. The vulnerability was categorized under the attack pattern of privilege escalation and information disclosure, as it allowed adversaries to gain unauthorized access to memory addresses that should have remained hidden. The flaw was particularly dangerous because it affected multiple versions of Adobe's products across different platforms, creating a wide attack surface that could be exploited by threat actors targeting various operating systems. Security researchers identified that this vulnerability was part of a broader class of issues related to memory management and protection mechanisms that could be leveraged to bypass multiple security controls simultaneously. The vulnerability's exploitation required attackers to understand the specific memory layout and access patterns of the affected systems, making it a sophisticated attack vector that could be used in targeted campaigns. This weakness directly contradicted the security principles outlined in the software security framework that emphasizes proper memory management and protection of critical system resources. The vulnerability was particularly concerning because it affected both runtime environments and development tools, expanding the potential attack surface to include developers and end-users who might be using the affected software. Organizations using these versions of Adobe Flash Player and AIR products were at significant risk of advanced persistent threats that could leverage this vulnerability to gain deeper system access. The flaw required careful analysis of memory structures and could be exploited in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to create more effective attack vectors. The security community recognized this vulnerability as a critical threat that required immediate patching of all affected systems to prevent exploitation. This issue highlighted the importance of proper memory management in security-critical applications and the need for robust protection mechanisms against address disclosure attacks. The vulnerability's impact extended beyond simple information disclosure to include potential privilege escalation and system compromise, making it a high severity threat that warranted immediate attention from security teams. The flaw's exploitation was particularly dangerous because it could be combined with other memory corruption vulnerabilities to create more sophisticated attack scenarios. Security professionals noted that this vulnerability demonstrated the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the dangers of running outdated software versions. The vulnerability represented a fundamental failure in the security architecture of Adobe's products and underscored the need for more rigorous security testing of memory management components. Organizations were advised to immediately implement security controls including network segmentation, application whitelisting, and mandatory patching to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. The incident highlighted the importance of maintaining awareness of security advisories and the potential risks associated with running unsupported software versions in enterprise environments. This vulnerability served as a reminder of the critical role that memory protection mechanisms play in modern security architectures and the consequences of failing to properly implement these protections. The security implications of this vulnerability extended to the broader ecosystem of web applications and mobile platforms that relied on Adobe's technologies for content delivery and execution. The flaw's resolution required comprehensive patching across multiple platforms and software variants, emphasizing the complexity of managing security updates in large-scale enterprise environments. The vulnerability demonstrated how seemingly minor memory management issues could have significant security implications when combined with other attack vectors and exploitation techniques. Security researchers recommended that organizations conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected versions of Adobe Flash Player and AIR products to ensure complete remediation of this critical weakness. The incident reinforced the importance of maintaining robust security practices and the necessity of regular security audits to identify and address vulnerabilities before they could be exploited by malicious actors. This vulnerability served as a case study in how memory protection mechanisms can be circumvented through careful analysis of software behavior and exploitation of implementation flaws in security-critical applications. The resolution of this vulnerability required coordinated efforts between Adobe and security vendors to ensure that all affected systems received appropriate patches and updates to restore proper memory protection mechanisms. The security community recognized this vulnerability as a significant threat that required immediate action and highlighted the importance of maintaining current security practices in the face of evolving attack methodologies.