CVE-2015-7639 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in 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 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-7629, CVE-2015-7631, CVE-2015-7635, CVE-2015-7636, CVE-2015-7637, CVE-2015-7638, CVE-2015-7640, CVE-2015-7641, CVE-2015-7642, CVE-2015-7643, and CVE-2015-7644.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2022
The CVE-2015-7639 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and AIR runtime environments that existed across multiple operating systems and versions. This vulnerability specifically affects Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.252 and 19.x prior to 19.0.0.207 on Windows and OS X platforms, while Linux versions were impacted until 11.2.202.535. Additionally, Adobe AIR runtime versions before 19.0.0.213 and corresponding SDK versions were also vulnerable, making this a widespread issue affecting the entire Adobe runtime ecosystem. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of use-after-free conditions, where memory that has been freed is still being accessed by the application, creating a predictable exploitation vector for malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the Flash Player and AIR runtime components. When processing certain multimedia content or executing specific code sequences, the application would free memory resources while maintaining references to them, creating a scenario where subsequent operations could access this freed memory location. This particular flaw differs from several other vulnerabilities in the same CVE series, indicating a distinct code path or implementation issue within the Flash Player's memory management subsystem. The unspecified vectors of exploitation suggest that the vulnerability could be triggered through various means including malicious web content, embedded Flash objects, or crafted media files that would cause the runtime to improperly handle memory deallocation and subsequent access patterns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and potentially devastating for affected systems. Attackers could leverage this use-after-free condition to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Flash Player process, which typically runs with the same permissions as the user. This could lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to install malware, modify system files, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability's presence across multiple platforms including Windows, OS X, and Linux demonstrates the widespread nature of the risk, affecting both enterprise and consumer environments. Given that Flash Player was widely deployed across browsers and applications, the potential attack surface was enormous, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in real-world scenarios where users frequently encountered Flash content in web browsers, email attachments, or multimedia applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7639 required immediate action from system administrators and users to address the vulnerability. The primary and most effective mitigation was to update all affected Adobe Flash Player and AIR installations to the patched versions mentioned in the CVE description. This included updating Adobe AIR runtime versions to 19.0.0.213 or later, Adobe AIR SDK versions to 19.0.0.213 or later, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler versions to 19.0.0.213 or later. Organizations should have implemented comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all systems were updated promptly, as the vulnerability could be exploited through drive-by downloads or malicious websites. Additionally, security teams should have considered implementing browser security measures such as disabling Flash content by default, using sandboxing techniques, and monitoring for suspicious Flash-related network activity. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability would be categorized under T1059.007 for Windows Command Shell and T1068 for Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, with potential use of T1056.001 for Input Capture and T1070 for Indicator Removal on the host. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue aligns with ATT&CK's focus on system-level exploitation techniques that leverage low-level programming flaws to gain unauthorized access and execute malicious code.