CVE-2015-5116 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 remote attackers to bypass the Same Origin Policy via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-0578, CVE-2015-3115, CVE-2015-3116, and CVE-2015-3125.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2024
Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR suffered from a critical Same Origin Policy bypass vulnerability that allowed remote attackers to circumvent fundamental web security mechanisms. This vulnerability affected multiple product versions across different operating systems including Windows, OS X, and Linux platforms. The flaw enabled attackers to execute cross-origin requests that should have been restricted by the browser's security model, potentially allowing unauthorized data access and manipulation. The vulnerability was distinct from several other related issues including CVE-2014-0578, CVE-2015-3115, CVE-2015-3116, and CVE-2015-3125, indicating a unique exploitation vector. The Same Origin Policy represents a core security principle that prevents web pages from making requests to different origins without proper authorization, making this bypass particularly dangerous as it undermined basic web security boundaries. This vulnerability was categorized under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage. The impact extended beyond simple data theft as it could enable attackers to perform unauthorized operations on behalf of users, potentially leading to full system compromise through subsequent exploitation. The vulnerability affected not only end-user installations but also development environments through Adobe AIR SDK and compiler components. Attackers could leverage this flaw to access sensitive data from different domains, perform unauthorized operations, and potentially escalate privileges within the Flash Player sandbox environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involved exploiting how Flash Player handled cross-domain requests and security boundaries. When Flash Player processes content from different origins, it should enforce strict security policies to prevent unauthorized access to resources. However, this flaw allowed malicious actors to craft specific requests that bypassed these security checks, effectively allowing one domain to access resources belonging to another domain. The vulnerability was particularly concerning because Flash Player was widely deployed across enterprise environments and consumer systems, making the attack surface extensive. The affected versions included numerous major releases that were actively used in production environments, meaning many systems were potentially vulnerable. The exploitation required network access and the ability to deliver malicious Flash content to target systems, typically through web browsers or email attachments. This bypass of security controls created a pathway for more sophisticated attacks including data exfiltration, privilege escalation, and potentially remote code execution. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions and platforms indicated a fundamental flaw in Flash Player's security architecture rather than a simple coding error.
Organizations and users faced significant operational risks when systems were running vulnerable versions of Adobe Flash Player or Adobe AIR. The vulnerability could be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious websites, phishing campaigns, or compromised web applications. Once exploited, the bypass could enable attackers to access confidential data, manipulate web applications, and potentially establish persistent access to compromised systems. The widespread deployment of Flash Player meant that even organizations with robust security measures could be vulnerable if they had outdated Flash installations. This vulnerability particularly impacted enterprise environments where Flash Player was commonly used for internal applications and web-based tools. The security implications extended to user privacy as attackers could access sensitive information from different domains without proper authorization. The vulnerability also created opportunities for attackers to perform reconnaissance activities, mapping network resources and identifying additional targets for exploitation. Organizations needed to implement immediate mitigation strategies including patching affected systems, disabling Flash Player where possible, and monitoring for suspicious network activity. The complexity of the Flash Player ecosystem meant that organizations had to carefully manage updates across multiple platforms and versions, adding to the operational burden of addressing this vulnerability. Security teams also needed to consider the broader implications for their incident response procedures and threat hunting capabilities when dealing with this type of cross-origin security bypass.