CVE-2015-5587 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in 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 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5587 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR runtime environments across multiple operating systems. This vulnerability affects versions prior to specific patch releases including Flash Player 18.0.0.241 and 19.x versions before 19.0.0.185 on Windows and OS X platforms, as well as Flash Player versions before 11.2.202.521 on Linux systems. Additionally, Adobe AIR versions before 19.0.0.190 and corresponding SDK versions are equally impacted, making this a widespread issue affecting Adobe's multimedia runtime ecosystem.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking within the Flash Player and AIR runtime when processing maliciously crafted input data. The stack-based buffer overflow occurs when the application attempts to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries of a stack-allocated buffer, creating an exploitable condition where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and function pointers. This flaw falls under CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified as a critical weakness in memory safety and directly enables arbitrary code execution capabilities. The vulnerability manifests through unspecified vectors, suggesting that multiple attack surfaces within the Flash runtime could be leveraged by adversaries to trigger the overflow condition.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5587 is severe and far-reaching given the widespread deployment of Adobe Flash Player across enterprise environments and public internet infrastructure. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Flash Player process, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack surface is particularly dangerous because Flash Player was commonly enabled by default in web browsers, making exploitation possible through standard web browsing activities without requiring user interaction beyond visiting malicious websites. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1068 for Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, as successful exploitation typically results in elevated privileges and persistent access to compromised systems. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond individual user systems to enterprise networks where Flash Player was widely deployed for web applications, training materials, and internal business processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5587 primarily involve immediate patching and updating of affected Adobe products to their patched versions. Organizations should prioritize updating Adobe Flash Player to version 18.0.0.241 or later, and 19.0.0.185 or later for the 19.x series, while ensuring Adobe AIR and SDK installations are updated to version 19.0.0.190 or later. System administrators should implement network-based controls such as disabling Flash Player plugins in web browsers where possible, implementing content filtering solutions, and using sandboxing technologies to limit the potential impact of exploitation. Additionally, monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns and anomalous system behavior can help detect exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing the principle of least privilege for Flash Player execution and regularly audit system configurations to ensure that outdated Flash Player versions are not present on enterprise systems. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software and implementing comprehensive patch management processes to protect against known exploits in widely deployed software components.