CVE-2015-3133 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-2015-3130, CVE-2015-3134, and CVE-2015-4431.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2022
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 13.0.0.302 and 14.x through 18.x before 18.0.0.203 on Windows and OS X platforms, along with affected versions on Linux before 11.2.202.481, together with Adobe AIR versions before 18.0.0.180 and corresponding SDK versions, contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution attacks. This vulnerability specifically manifested through unspecified attack vectors that differed from several other contemporaneous Flash Player flaws including CVE-2015-3117, CVE-2015-3123, CVE-2015-3130, CVE-2015-3134, and CVE-2015-4431, indicating a distinct code path for exploitation. The memory corruption flaw occurred within the Flash Player runtime environment where improper input validation and handling of malformed data structures led to unpredictable memory access patterns. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability by crafting malicious Flash content that, when loaded by an affected player, would trigger buffer overflows or heap corruption conditions that could be exploited to overwrite critical memory locations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and CWE-125, out-of-bounds read, which are common entry points for privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution attacks. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represented a significant risk to enterprise environments where Flash Player was widely deployed for multimedia content delivery and rich internet applications. The attack surface was extensive given Flash Player's prevalence across multiple operating systems and its integration with web browsers, making exploitation relatively straightforward for threat actors. Organizations running affected versions faced potential compromise of user systems, data exfiltration, and establishment of persistent backdoors through the execution of malicious code. The vulnerability's impact was amplified by the fact that many users and organizations had not yet updated their Flash Player installations, leaving them exposed to active exploitation campaigns. This particular vulnerability was classified under the MITRE ATT&CK framework as part of the T1059.007 technique for command and scripting interpreter, specifically through the use of Flash-based malicious payloads that could execute arbitrary commands on compromised systems. The memory corruption nature of the vulnerability made it particularly dangerous because it could be exploited without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website, making it a prime target for drive-by download attacks. Security researchers noted that the flaw was particularly challenging to detect due to its subtle nature and the complex memory management patterns within Flash Player's runtime environment. The vulnerability required careful exploitation techniques to achieve reliable code execution, often involving multiple steps to bypass modern exploit mitigations such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention mechanisms. Organizations needed to implement immediate patch management procedures to address this vulnerability, as the window for exploitation remained open while legacy systems continued to operate with outdated Flash Player versions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stemmed from inadequate bounds checking and memory management within Flash Player's ActionScript runtime engine. When processing specially crafted SWF files containing malformed data structures, the player would fail to properly validate input parameters, leading to memory corruption that could be leveraged to execute arbitrary instructions. The flaw was particularly dangerous because it occurred within the core rendering and execution components of Flash Player, making it difficult to isolate and prevent through traditional sandboxing mechanisms. This vulnerability demonstrated the inherent risks of complex multimedia frameworks that handle untrusted content, as the memory corruption could occur during normal playback operations, not just during specific user interactions. The attack vectors were diverse and could include web-based content, embedded applications, or even content delivered through email attachments that leveraged Flash Player's automatic execution capabilities. From a defensive standpoint, organizations needed to implement comprehensive patch management strategies, network segmentation to limit Flash Player exposure, and web application firewalls to detect and block malicious Flash content. The vulnerability also highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches for legacy software components, as Flash Player's end-of-life status did not diminish the threat posed by unpatched installations. This particular vulnerability served as a reminder of the critical importance of vulnerability management and the risks associated with running unsupported software versions in enterprise environments. The exploitation techniques developed for this vulnerability contributed to the broader understanding of Flash Player exploitation methods and influenced subsequent security research into multimedia framework vulnerabilities. Security professionals needed to monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability and implement appropriate detection mechanisms within their security information and event management systems to identify potential exploitation attempts.