CVE-2015-3124 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.302 and 14.x through 18.x before 18.0.0.203 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.481 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 18.0.0.180, Adobe AIR SDK before 18.0.0.180, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 18.0.0.180 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-3118, CVE-2015-3127, CVE-2015-3128, CVE-2015-3129, CVE-2015-3131, CVE-2015-3132, CVE-2015-3136, CVE-2015-3137, CVE-2015-4428, CVE-2015-4430, and CVE-2015-5117.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2025
The CVE-2015-3124 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR runtime environments that affects multiple platform versions across Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category, specifically addressing improper deallocation of memory resources where freed memory is subsequently accessed, creating a dangerous condition that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized code execution capabilities. The flaw exists in the memory management subsystem of Adobe's runtime environment, where objects are freed from memory but references to those objects persist, allowing malicious code to manipulate the freed memory location.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unspecified attack vectors that leverage the improper handling of memory objects during Flash Player or AIR application execution. When a Flash application or AIR runtime processes certain multimedia content or executes specific code sequences, it triggers a scenario where memory allocated to an object is freed but not properly nullified, leaving a dangling pointer that attackers can manipulate. This allows adversaries to write malicious code into the freed memory space and subsequently execute it when the application attempts to access the freed object, effectively bypassing modern memory protection mechanisms such as DEP and ASLR. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects both desktop and mobile runtime environments, creating a wide attack surface across multiple Adobe products and platforms.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-3124 extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold in compromised systems that can be leveraged for further exploitation activities. According to ATT&CK framework techniques, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, enabling attackers to establish persistent access and move laterally within networks. The vulnerability's exploitation typically requires user interaction through malicious Flash content delivered via web browsers or email attachments, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently interact with untrusted content. Attackers can chain this vulnerability with other exploits to achieve full system compromise, often resulting in the installation of backdoors, keyloggers, or other persistent malware components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-3124 require immediate patch management and comprehensive security hardening measures across affected Adobe products. Organizations should prioritize updating all instances of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR to their latest secure versions, specifically targeting the patched releases mentioned in the CVE description. The implementation of Adobe's Enhanced Mitigation Experience (AME) and other browser security features such as sandboxing and content filtering can significantly reduce exploitation success rates. Network-based protections should include web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious Flash content, while endpoint security solutions should be configured to monitor for suspicious memory access patterns and potential use-after-free exploitation attempts. Additionally, security teams should implement user education programs to reduce the likelihood of successful social engineering attacks that deliver malicious Flash content, as this vulnerability requires user interaction to be exploited effectively.