CVE-2015-7654 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.261 and 19.x before 19.0.0.245 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.548 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 19.0.0.241, Adobe AIR SDK before 19.0.0.241, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 19.0.0.241 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted attachSound arguments, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-7651, CVE-2015-7652, CVE-2015-7653, CVE-2015-7655, CVE-2015-7656, CVE-2015-7657, CVE-2015-7658, CVE-2015-7660, CVE-2015-7661, CVE-2015-7663, CVE-2015-8042, CVE-2015-8043, CVE-2015-8044, and CVE-2015-8046.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2022
The CVE-2015-7654 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR runtime environments that affects multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms. This vulnerability specifically manifests when processing crafted attachSound arguments within the multimedia framework, creating a dangerous condition where memory that has been freed is still accessed by subsequent operations. The flaw exists in Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.261 and 19.x prior to 19.0.0.245 on Windows and macOS, and in versions prior to 11.2.202.548 on Linux, along with corresponding vulnerable Adobe AIR implementations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates outside the scope of previously identified related vulnerabilities, making it a distinct threat vector in the exploitation landscape.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the Flash Player's sound attachment handling mechanism. When the attachSound method processes maliciously crafted arguments, it can cause the application to free memory associated with sound objects while simultaneously allowing subsequent code paths to reference that freed memory location. This creates a classic use-after-free condition that attackers can exploit to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the compromised Flash Player process. The vulnerability specifically targets the memory management routines that handle audio streaming and sound object lifecycle management, where the application fails to properly validate or track the state of sound objects during attachment operations. This flaw aligns with CWE-416, which defines use-after-free vulnerabilities as a condition where memory is accessed after it has been freed by the program, making it a prime target for exploitation in memory corruption attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7654 extends beyond simple code execution capabilities as it provides attackers with a sophisticated method for achieving remote code execution within the context of Flash Player applications. Attackers can craft malicious SWF files or web content that triggers the vulnerable attachSound method, potentially leading to full system compromise when users view the malicious content. The vulnerability's cross-platform nature means that exploitation is possible across multiple operating systems, increasing its attack surface and making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where diverse operating systems coexist. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would fall under the T1059.007 technique for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" and potentially T1068 for "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" when combined with other exploitation techniques. The memory corruption nature of the vulnerability makes it suitable for various exploitation payloads including shellcode injection, process injection, and privilege escalation vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7654 should prioritize immediate patch deployment as the primary defense mechanism, with Adobe releasing updates for all affected versions including Flash Player 18.0.0.261 and 19.x versions 19.0.0.245 and later, along with Adobe AIR versions 19.0.0.241 and later. Network-based defenses should include implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious SWF content, particularly focusing on sound-related method calls within Flash applications. Organizations should also consider disabling Flash Player entirely in their environments, as the vulnerability landscape for Flash has been increasingly problematic with numerous similar memory corruption flaws identified in recent years. Browser vendors have already begun implementing Flash blocking policies, and enterprises should leverage these security measures in conjunction with endpoint protection solutions that can detect anomalous memory access patterns or suspicious process behavior. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management validation and the need for comprehensive input sanitization in multimedia frameworks, making it a critical case study for understanding how seemingly simple API calls can create complex security vulnerabilities in rich media applications.