CVE-2015-3130 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
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 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-3117, CVE-2015-3123, CVE-2015-3133, CVE-2015-3134, and CVE-2015-4431.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2022
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 exists in multiple product lines including Flash Player for Windows and OS X platforms, Flash Player for Linux, and various Adobe AIR implementations across different operating systems. The flaw manifests through unspecified attack vectors that differ from other contemporaneous vulnerabilities in the same advisory, indicating a distinct code path or memory handling mechanism that has been compromised. The vulnerability affects specific version ranges including Flash Player versions before 13.0.0.302 and 14.x through 18.x before 18.0.0.203 on Windows and OS X platforms, and Flash Player before 11.2.202.481 on Linux systems. Additionally, Adobe AIR versions before 18.0.0.180 and related SDK components are equally affected, demonstrating the widespread nature of this memory corruption issue across Adobe's multimedia platform ecosystem.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves memory corruption that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. Memory corruption vulnerabilities typically arise from improper handling of memory allocation, deallocation, or buffer operations within software applications. In this case, the flaw likely stems from inadequate bounds checking or improper memory management within Flash Player's ActionScript runtime or AIR's application execution environment. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability by crafting malicious content that triggers the memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable software, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue aligns with common attack patterns documented in the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) catalog, specifically CWE-125 for out-of-bounds read and CWE-787 for out-of-bounds write conditions that are frequently exploited in multimedia and scripting environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation to encompass significant security risks for enterprise and individual users. Organizations relying on Flash-based applications and content face potential compromise of their entire network infrastructure when attackers exploit this memory corruption vulnerability. The vulnerability's presence across multiple platforms including Windows, OS X, and Linux systems means that attackers can target diverse environments without requiring platform-specific exploitation techniques. The memory corruption nature of the vulnerability can result in both remote code execution and denial of service conditions, providing attackers with multiple attack vectors depending on their objectives. When exploited successfully, this vulnerability could enable attackers to gain full system control, install malware, steal sensitive data, or disrupt business operations through service availability impacts. The widespread adoption of Flash Player across enterprise environments makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can potentially affect thousands of systems simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of all affected Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR installations across all supported platforms. System administrators should prioritize updating to the latest versions of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR that contain the security fixes for this memory corruption vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all vulnerable systems are updated promptly, as the vulnerability affects multiple product lines and operating systems. Additional defensive measures include network segmentation to limit exposure, application whitelisting to prevent execution of untrusted Flash content, and monitoring for suspicious network activity that may indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing browser sandboxing mechanisms and content filtering solutions that can block potentially malicious Flash content before it reaches vulnerable systems. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK techniques for privilege escalation and execution through malicious content, making it essential for organizations to maintain up-to-date threat intelligence and incident response procedures to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts.