CVE-2015-5582 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-2015-5575, CVE-2015-5577, CVE-2015-5578, CVE-2015-5580, 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 for Windows and OS X, 19.x versions before 19.0.0.185 for the same platforms, and 11.2.202.521 for 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 separate from several other CVEs published in the same timeframe, indicating that attackers could exploit unspecified vectors within the Flash Player runtime environment to manipulate memory structures and potentially gain unauthorized system access. The vulnerability stemmed from improper memory handling mechanisms within the Flash Player's ActionScript execution environment and native code components, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious SWF files or web content that would trigger buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory corruption scenarios when processed by the affected software.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflows in the context of memory corruption. Attackers could leverage this weakness through various attack vectors including web-based exploitation where malicious Flash content would be loaded in a browser, or through desktop applications that embed Flash Player components. The vulnerability's impact extended across multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux, demonstrating the cross-platform nature of the underlying memory management flaw in the Flash Player runtime. The specific memory corruption patterns likely involved improper bounds checking during object allocation and deallocation processes within the Flash Player's virtual machine, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate heap structures and potentially overwrite critical memory regions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represented a significant risk to enterprise environments where Flash Player was widely deployed for multimedia content, web applications, and desktop software. The ability to execute arbitrary code remotely meant that attackers could potentially gain complete system control, install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors. Organizations running affected versions faced potential compromise of user endpoints, particularly in environments where users frequently visited untrusted websites or downloaded content from unknown sources. The vulnerability's presence in Adobe AIR applications also meant that desktop software built using the AIR runtime could be similarly compromised, expanding the attack surface beyond traditional web browsers. Security teams needed to prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, as the vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild, with threat actors developing and deploying malware leveraging this specific memory corruption flaw.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate deployment of patches from Adobe, which addressed the underlying memory corruption issues through improved bounds checking, heap management, and memory allocation routines. Organizations should have implemented network segmentation and web filtering controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious Flash content, while also considering the complete removal of Flash Player from systems where it was not strictly required for business operations. The remediation process needed to account for the wide variety of affected versions across different platforms and software variants, requiring careful inventory management and testing of patches in production environments. Security monitoring should have focused on detecting anomalous network traffic patterns, unusual system behavior, and attempts to access vulnerable Flash Player components. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies, as the memory corruption nature of the flaw made it particularly challenging to detect through traditional signature-based security controls. Organizations should have also considered implementing application whitelisting policies and restricting Flash Player execution in enterprise environments to minimize potential attack vectors. This vulnerability underscored the broader risks associated with legacy software components and the critical need for organizations to maintain comprehensive software inventory management and timely patch deployment processes, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation and T1190 for exploit public-facing application.