CVE-2015-3132 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-2015-3124, CVE-2015-3127, CVE-2015-3128, CVE-2015-3129, CVE-2015-3131, 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 • 11/26/2024
The CVE-2015-3132 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and AIR runtime environments that persisted across multiple versions and operating systems. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of "Use After Free" which occurs when a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed, creating potential for arbitrary code execution. The affected versions span across Adobe Flash Player 13.0.0.301 and earlier, 14.x through 18.x versions prior to 18.0.0.203 on Windows and OS X platforms, and Linux versions before 11.2.202.481, alongside corresponding Adobe AIR runtime and SDK versions before 18.0.0.180. The vulnerability's significance lies in its ability to allow remote attackers to execute malicious code on targeted systems through unspecified attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous in web browsing contexts where Flash content is commonly encountered.
The technical implementation of this use-after-free vulnerability stems from improper memory management within Adobe's Flash Player runtime engine. When processing certain Flash content, the application fails to properly validate object references before accessing memory that has already been deallocated. This memory corruption creates a scenario where attacker-controlled data can be written to freed memory locations, potentially allowing for the execution of malicious code with the privileges of the Flash Player process. The vulnerability's exploitation requires sophisticated techniques to manipulate the memory layout and overwrite critical function pointers or virtual table entries, leveraging the freed memory to redirect execution flow. This attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Windows Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, as attackers can leverage the Flash runtime to execute arbitrary commands.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-3132 extends far beyond typical security vulnerabilities due to Flash Player's widespread deployment across enterprise environments and personal computing systems. Organizations that continued to use outdated Flash Player versions faced significant risk exposure, as the vulnerability could be exploited through drive-by downloads from compromised websites or malicious email attachments containing Flash content. The cross-platform nature of the vulnerability meant that attackers could target users across Windows, macOS, and Linux systems, making it particularly challenging to defend against. Security researchers noted that the vulnerability's exploitation was not limited to specific content types, requiring comprehensive patching across all affected platforms. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw meant that successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistence mechanisms being established. Organizations relying on Flash-based applications for business-critical functions faced potential disruption and security breaches, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-3132 required immediate patch deployment across all affected Adobe Flash Player and AIR installations, with security teams prioritizing the update process for critical systems. The recommended approach involved implementing a comprehensive patch management program that included verifying patch integrity and testing updates in controlled environments before widespread deployment. Organizations should have implemented network segmentation to limit exposure of systems running Flash Player, particularly those with elevated privileges or access to sensitive data. Browser security configurations should have been enhanced to disable Flash Player execution entirely or restrict it to trusted domains only. Incident response procedures needed to include monitoring for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis, web server logs, and endpoint detection systems that could identify attempts to leverage the vulnerability. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date software inventories and implementing automated patch management solutions to prevent similar issues in the future, as the use of deprecated Flash Player components remained prevalent in many enterprise environments despite known security risks.