CVE-2015-5124 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-2015-3133, CVE-2015-3134, and CVE-2015-4431.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/03/2022
Adobe Flash Player and AIR runtime environments contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability affected multiple versions across different platforms including Windows, OS X, and Linux operating systems. The flaw manifested as heap-based buffer overflow conditions that occurred during the processing of malformed multimedia content or specific API calls within the Flash runtime environment. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability by crafting malicious SWF files or web content that would trigger the memory corruption when processed by the affected Flash Player or AIR applications. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the victim's user account, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The issue was distinct from several other reported vulnerabilities in the same timeframe, indicating a separate code path or memory handling mechanism within the Flash runtime. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and CWE-125, out-of-bounds read, which are common entry points for privilege escalation attacks. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique involving code injection through memory corruption vulnerabilities, specifically falling under the T1059.007 sub-technique for command and scripting interpreter. The impact extended beyond simple denial of service to full system compromise, making it a high-severity threat that required immediate patching across all affected platforms. Organizations running vulnerable versions of Flash Player or AIR were exposed to significant risk as the vulnerability could be exploited through web browsers or standalone AIR applications, potentially allowing attackers to install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access to compromised systems. The vulnerability required no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website or opening a specially crafted file, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns and drive-by download scenarios. Security researchers noted that the exploitation of this vulnerability required sophisticated techniques due to modern exploit mitigations, but successful exploitation could result in complete system takeover. The affected versions spanned multiple release lines of both Flash Player and AIR, requiring comprehensive patch management across different product versions and operating systems. This vulnerability highlighted the ongoing security challenges associated with legacy multimedia runtime environments and the risks posed by complex software components that handle untrusted input data. Organizations needed to implement immediate remediation measures including disabling Flash content in browsers, updating to patched versions, and monitoring for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscored the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing layered security controls to protect against zero-day exploits targeting widely deployed software components. The specific memory corruption patterns suggested that the vulnerability involved improper bounds checking during dynamic memory allocation operations within the Flash runtime's multimedia processing pipeline, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate heap memory structures and redirect execution flow.