CVE-2015-7628 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.252 and 19.x before 19.0.0.207 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.535 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 19.0.0.213, Adobe AIR SDK before 19.0.0.213, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 19.0.0.213 allow remote attackers to bypass the Same Origin Policy and obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2022
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.252 on Windows and OS X, and before 19.0.0.207 on Linux, along with Adobe AIR versions before 19.0.0.213 and corresponding SDK versions, contained a critical security vulnerability that enabled remote attackers to circumvent the Same Origin Policy mechanism. This vulnerability falls under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and specifically targets web browser security boundaries that prevent unauthorized data access between different origins. The flaw allowed malicious actors to execute cross-origin resource sharing attacks without proper authorization, effectively breaking down the fundamental security model that separates web applications and protects user data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involved a flaw in Flash Player's security model that permitted unauthorized access to sensitive information across different domains. Attackers could exploit this weakness to retrieve data from other origins that should normally be restricted by the browser's security policies. This bypass allowed for the extraction of cookies, session tokens, and other sensitive data that should remain protected from cross-origin access attempts. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it affected multiple platforms including Windows, OS X, and Linux, making it a widespread concern for organizations using Adobe Flash-based applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7628 was significant as it enabled sophisticated attacks that could lead to complete session hijacking and data theft. Security researchers identified this vulnerability as part of the broader ATT&CK framework under the technique T1059.007 for application layer protocols and T1566 for credential access through social engineering. Organizations that relied on Flash Player for web applications, including financial institutions, healthcare providers, and government agencies, faced potential exposure of sensitive user data. The vulnerability could be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious websites, phishing campaigns, and drive-by downloads that leveraged the browser's Flash plugin to execute unauthorized cross-origin requests.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of all affected Adobe Flash Player installations and AIR applications. System administrators should have implemented the latest security updates from Adobe as soon as they became available, with particular attention to the version numbers specified in the advisory. Organizations needed to conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected versions and implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures included disabling Flash Player in web browsers where possible, implementing strict content security policies, and using web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious cross-origin requests. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against zero-day exploits targeting widely-used software components.