CVE-2015-8042 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 a crafted loadSound call, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-7651, CVE-2015-7652, CVE-2015-7653, CVE-2015-7654, CVE-2015-7655, CVE-2015-7656, CVE-2015-7657, CVE-2015-7658, CVE-2015-7660, CVE-2015-7661, CVE-2015-7663, CVE-2015-8043, CVE-2015-8044, and CVE-2015-8046.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2022
The CVE-2015-8042 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR runtime environments that was actively exploited in the wild during 2015. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 18.0.0.261 and 19.x before 19.0.0.245 on Windows and OS X platforms, and before 11.2.202.548 on Linux systems, along with corresponding vulnerable Adobe AIR versions. The flaw occurs within the Flash Player's handling of sound loading operations, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through legitimate media playback scenarios. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions where memory that has been freed is still accessed by subsequent operations. This particular weakness allows attackers to manipulate the memory management system through a crafted loadSound API call, creating a scenario where freed memory blocks can be reused and manipulated to execute arbitrary code.
The technical exploitation mechanism involves a sophisticated manipulation of Flash Player's memory allocation and deallocation processes. When a malicious SWF file contains a crafted loadSound call, it triggers a sequence where Flash Player allocates memory for sound objects, processes the sound data, and subsequently frees that memory. However, due to the flawed implementation, the application continues to reference this freed memory location, creating a use-after-free condition. Attackers can leverage this by carefully crafting the sound data and timing of memory operations to overwrite critical memory segments with malicious code, effectively bypassing modern memory protection mechanisms. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited remotely through web browsers or other Flash Player hosts, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Flash Player remains widely deployed. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as the exploitation often involves crafting malicious scripts that can execute arbitrary commands on vulnerable systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-8042 extends beyond simple code execution to encompass full system compromise capabilities. Organizations running vulnerable versions of Flash Player or AIR are at significant risk of being targeted by advanced persistent threat actors who utilize this vulnerability as part of multi-stage attack campaigns. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage, making it particularly dangerous for phishing campaigns and drive-by download attacks. Security researchers have noted that this vulnerability was frequently used in conjunction with other exploits, creating a chain of attacks that could escalate privileges, establish persistence mechanisms, and ultimately provide attackers with complete control over affected systems. The widespread deployment of Flash Player across various operating systems and platforms means that organizations with legacy systems or those that have not updated their software are particularly vulnerable to this attack vector, which aligns with ATT&CK's T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation and T1078 for valid accounts as part of the broader attack chain.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including mandatory software updates to patched versions of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR, along with network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions. The patching process should prioritize immediate deployment across all systems, particularly those that continue to rely on Flash Player functionality for business-critical applications. Additional defensive measures include disabling Flash Player in web browsers, implementing strict browser security policies, and monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any remaining systems running vulnerable versions of the software and establish automated patch management processes to prevent future exposure. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software environments and implementing defense-in-depth strategies, as the use-after-free condition can be particularly challenging to detect and remediate once exploitation has occurred. Organizations should also consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions that can identify anomalous behavior patterns consistent with memory corruption exploits and provide real-time alerting capabilities to prevent successful exploitation attempts.