CVE-2015-6676 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
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, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-6678.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2024
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.241 on Windows and OS X, and before 11.2.202.521 on Linux, along with Adobe AIR versions before 19.0.0.190, contained a critical buffer overflow vulnerability that enabled remote code execution attacks. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 buffer overflow category, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write data beyond the allocated buffer space. The flaw existed in the Flash Player's handling of certain multimedia content and could be exploited through malicious web pages or embedded content that triggered the vulnerable code path during content parsing. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Flash Player process, which typically runs with the same permissions as the user. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise. The buffer overflow occurred in the player's multimedia processing engine, where untrusted input from web content was not properly validated before being copied into fixed-size memory buffers. Attackers could craft malicious SWF files or web content that would cause the Flash Player to write beyond allocated memory boundaries, potentially overwriting critical program execution data such as return addresses or function pointers. This vulnerability was distinct from CVE-2015-6678 and represented a separate code path that was equally dangerous in terms of exploitation potential. The impact was severe as it could be triggered automatically when users visited compromised websites or opened malicious files, making it a prime target for zero-day exploits in the wild. Organizations running affected versions of Flash Player or AIR were at significant risk of targeted attacks, especially in environments where users had elevated privileges or where the software was frequently used to access untrusted web content. The vulnerability required no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website or opening a compromised file, making it particularly effective for drive-by attack scenarios. Adobe released patches for all affected versions, and system administrators were strongly advised to update immediately to prevent exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrated the ongoing security challenges associated with rich media players and the complexity of memory management in software that processes untrusted content from multiple sources. Organizations should have implemented network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block known malicious Flash content while waiting for official patches to be deployed. The incident highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and the critical need for regular security assessments of enterprise applications that handle multimedia content. This vulnerability also underscored the risks associated with legacy software support and the importance of having robust patch management processes in place to quickly address emerging threats in widely deployed applications like Adobe Flash Player.