CVE-2015-7630 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 attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-7625, CVE-2015-7626, CVE-2015-7627, CVE-2015-7633, and CVE-2015-7634.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2022
Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR suffered from a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability affected multiple product versions across different operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms, with specific version thresholds indicating the scope of impacted software. The flaw manifested as heap-based buffer overflows and memory corruption issues that could be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized system access or disrupt service availability. Security researchers identified this vulnerability as distinct from several related issues within the same advisory period, highlighting its unique exploitation characteristics and attack surface. The vulnerability was particularly concerning due to Flash Player's widespread deployment across enterprise environments and user systems, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking persistent access or system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involved improper memory management during Flash Player's processing of maliciously crafted multimedia content or web pages. Attackers could leverage this flaw by constructing specially crafted SWF files or web content that would trigger memory corruption when processed by the affected software versions. The memory corruption occurred in the application's handling of specific data structures, potentially allowing attackers to overwrite critical memory locations and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-122 category of heap-based buffer overflow, where insufficient bounds checking permits data to be written beyond allocated memory boundaries. The exploitation mechanism typically involved manipulating the application's memory layout to achieve code execution, often through return-oriented programming techniques or direct memory overwrite attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extended across enterprise networks where Flash Player was commonly deployed for multimedia content delivery, web applications, and interactive media experiences. Organizations utilizing affected versions faced significant risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and system compromise when users interacted with malicious content. The vulnerability's presence in Adobe AIR applications created additional attack vectors for mobile and desktop application developers who relied on the runtime environment for their software deployments. Security incidents resulting from this vulnerability could lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoor installations that would remain undetected for extended periods. The memory corruption nature of the flaw also made it susceptible to denial of service attacks that could cause application crashes or system instability, disrupting business operations and user productivity.
Organizations should have implemented immediate remediation measures including patching affected Adobe Flash Player and AIR installations to the latest versions, specifically targeting the mentioned version thresholds where the vulnerability was addressed. Network administrators needed to deploy web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block potentially malicious Flash content, particularly in environments where patching was delayed or impractical. System hardening measures such as disabling Flash Player in web browsers, implementing sandboxing techniques, and restricting user privileges for Flash runtime execution provided additional defense layers. Security teams should have conducted comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected software versions and prioritized remediation efforts based on risk exposure. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK framework's technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter indicated that successful exploitation would likely result in command execution capabilities, requiring incident response teams to prepare for potential post-exploitation activities. Regular monitoring of security advisories and maintaining updated vulnerability management processes became essential practices to prevent similar incidents from affecting organizational security postures.