CVE-2015-5575 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.241 and 19.x before 19.0.0.185 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.521 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 19.0.0.190, Adobe AIR SDK before 19.0.0.190, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 19.0.0.190 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-5577, CVE-2015-5578, CVE-2015-5580, CVE-2015-5582, CVE-2015-5588, and CVE-2015-6677.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2022
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.241 on Windows and OS X, 19.x versions before 19.0.0.185 on Windows and OS X, and 11.2.202.521 on Linux, along with Adobe AIR versions before 19.0.0.190 including the corresponding SDK and compiler versions, contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution or denial of service attacks. This vulnerability represented a distinct security flaw from several other related issues affecting the same software ecosystem. The flaw manifested through unspecified attack vectors that allowed malicious actors to manipulate memory structures within the Flash Player runtime environment, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution on vulnerable systems. The vulnerability exploited fundamental memory management mechanisms within the Adobe Flash runtime, creating opportunities for attackers to inject and execute malicious payloads. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns described in the CWE-119 weakness category, which encompasses memory safety issues including buffer overflows and improper memory handling. Security researchers identified this issue as part of a broader set of vulnerabilities affecting Adobe's multimedia platform, with CVE-2015-5575 specifically differing from other reported issues such as CVE-2015-5577, CVE-2015-5578, CVE-2015-5580, CVE-2015-5582, CVE-2015-5588, and CVE-2015-6677. The operational impact of this vulnerability was significant as Flash Player remained widely deployed across enterprise and consumer environments, making the exploitation potential substantial. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability through web-based attacks, potentially compromising systems when users visited malicious websites or opened compromised Flash content. The vulnerability's presence in multiple product lines including desktop player, mobile player, and AIR runtime environments created a broad attack surface. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability would have been categorized under the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as exploitation would likely involve executing malicious code within the Flash runtime environment. The memory corruption nature of the flaw meant that successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, particularly in environments where Flash Player was frequently used for web browsing and multimedia content delivery. Organizations deploying these vulnerable versions faced substantial risk due to the widespread use of Flash Player in corporate networks and user environments. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue places it within the broader context of software security weaknesses that have historically led to significant exploitation campaigns. Remediation required immediate patching of all affected Adobe Flash Player and AIR runtime versions, along with corresponding SDK and compiler components. The vulnerability demonstrated the ongoing security challenges associated with legacy multimedia platforms and highlighted the importance of timely patch management for widely deployed software components. Security professionals needed to implement network-based mitigations and user education to reduce exposure while awaiting official patches from Adobe. The issue represented a critical gap in Adobe's security posture, particularly given the platform's extensive use in enterprise environments and its continued relevance despite declining browser support.