CVE-2015-5563 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.232 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.508 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 18.0.0.199, Adobe AIR SDK before 18.0.0.199, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 18.0.0.199 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-5127, CVE-2015-5130, CVE-2015-5134, CVE-2015-5539, CVE-2015-5540, CVE-2015-5550, CVE-2015-5551, CVE-2015-5556, CVE-2015-5557, CVE-2015-5559, CVE-2015-5561, CVE-2015-5564, and CVE-2015-5565.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2025
The CVE-2015-5563 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR platforms that emerged in 2015 as part of a broader wave of security issues affecting multimedia software. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 18.0.0.232 on Windows and OS X systems, and before 11.2.202.508 on Linux platforms, along with corresponding vulnerable versions of Adobe AIR and its development tools. The flaw operates as a memory corruption vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code through unspecified attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous in targeted exploitation scenarios.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within Adobe Flash Player's runtime environment where freed memory blocks are still accessible to malicious code. This use-after-free condition occurs when the application continues to reference memory locations that have been deallocated, creating potential for code execution. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software systems. Attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting malicious Flash content that triggers the memory corruption, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's distinct nature from other related CVEs in the same timeframe indicates a unique code path or memory handling pattern within the Flash Player implementation.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5563 extends beyond simple exploitation as it represents a significant threat vector in advanced persistent threat campaigns and zero-day attacks. Organizations relying on Flash-based applications for business-critical processes faced substantial risk, as the vulnerability could be exploited through web browsers, email attachments, or malicious websites without requiring user interaction. The attack surface was particularly broad given Flash Player's widespread deployment across enterprise environments and consumer systems. Security researchers noted that this vulnerability could be chained with other exploits to bypass modern security mitigations, including address space layout randomization and data execution prevention mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5563 centered on immediate patch deployment and system hardening measures. Organizations were advised to update to patched versions of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR, specifically versions 18.0.0.232 and later for Windows/OS X, and 11.2.202.508 and later for Linux systems. Additional defensive measures included implementing browser security policies to restrict Flash content execution, deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts, and utilizing application whitelisting controls to prevent unauthorized Flash content execution. The vulnerability's remediation also highlighted the importance of comprehensive patch management programs and regular security assessments of multimedia runtime environments. Organizations following ATT&CK framework principles recognized this vulnerability as a potential entry point for lateral movement and privilege escalation, emphasizing the need for layered security approaches. Given the nature of the vulnerability, security teams were advised to conduct thorough incident response planning and implement monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts across their networks.