CVE-2015-3137 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-2015-3132, CVE-2015-3136, CVE-2015-4428, CVE-2015-4430, and CVE-2015-5117.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2024
The CVE-2015-3137 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and related runtime environments that was actively exploited in the wild during 2015. This vulnerability specifically affects multiple versions of Adobe Flash Player including the 13.x series before 13.0.0.302 and 14.x through 18.x series before 18.0.0.203 on Windows and OS X platforms, as well as older versions on Linux systems. Additionally, Adobe AIR runtime environments before version 18.0.0.180 and corresponding SDK versions were also impacted by this flaw. The vulnerability operates through unspecified attack vectors that differ from several other contemporaneous Flash Player vulnerabilities, making it a distinct threat within the exploitation landscape of that time period.
The technical nature of this use-after-free vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the Flash Player runtime environment. When the Flash Player processes certain malicious content, it fails to properly validate memory references after objects have been freed from memory, creating a scenario where an attacker can manipulate the freed memory location to execute arbitrary code. This memory corruption flaw occurs during the handling of specific multimedia content or web-based Flash applications that trigger the vulnerable code path. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-416 as Use After Free, which is a well-documented class of memory safety issues that has been a primary target for exploit developers due to its potential for privilege escalation and remote code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-3137 was severe and widespread, as it enabled attackers to gain complete control over affected systems without requiring user interaction in many scenarios. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because Flash Player was widely installed across enterprise and consumer environments, making it an attractive target for threat actors seeking to establish persistent access to networks. Security researchers noted that this vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild through drive-by downloads and malicious web campaigns, often leveraging social engineering techniques to deliver malicious Flash content. The attack surface was extensive given that Flash Player was commonly enabled in web browsers and applications, providing attackers with multiple vectors for exploitation including web-based attacks, email attachments, and malicious websites.
Organizations and security professionals responded to this vulnerability through immediate patch management procedures and temporary mitigations. The recommended approach involved updating all affected Adobe Flash Player installations to versions 13.0.0.302 and 18.0.0.203 respectively, or upgrading Adobe AIR to version 18.0.0.180 and corresponding SDK versions. Security teams implemented browser security measures including disabling Flash Player plugin execution, implementing content security policies, and deploying sandboxing techniques to limit the potential impact of exploitation attempts. This vulnerability also highlighted the broader security challenges associated with legacy Flash Player environments and contributed to the eventual industry-wide transition away from Flash-based technologies, as organizations recognized the ongoing security risks posed by such deprecated runtime environments. The exploit techniques associated with CVE-2015-3137 were documented in various threat intelligence reports and contributed to the development of signature-based detection methods for network security appliances and endpoint protection systems.