CVE-2015-8044 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 unspecified vectors, 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-2015-8042, CVE-2015-8043, and CVE-2015-8046.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/25/2025
The CVE-2015-8044 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR runtime environments that affected multiple platform versions across Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of memory safety issues that have historically been among the most dangerous exploits in software security. The flaw specifically impacts Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.261 and 19.x versions prior to 19.0.0.245 on Windows and OS X platforms, while Linux versions were affected until 11.2.202.548. Additionally, Adobe AIR runtime environments and their corresponding SDKs were vulnerable until version 19.0.0.241, making this a comprehensive issue affecting multiple Adobe products within the same ecosystem.
The technical nature of this use-after-free vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the Flash Player's handling of objects and their lifecycle. When a Flash Player application processes certain malicious content, it may free memory associated with an object while still maintaining references to that memory location. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious SWF files that manipulate the object lifecycle to cause the freed memory to be reused for malicious purposes. This particular vulnerability is distinct from several other related issues in the same year, indicating a unique code path or implementation flaw that required specific exploitation techniques. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-416, which describes the use of freed memory condition, and represents a classic example of how improper memory management can lead to remote code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-8044 was significant as it provided attackers with a reliable method to achieve arbitrary code execution on vulnerable systems without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage or opening a compromised file. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Flash Player was commonly used for web content delivery and multimedia applications. The vulnerability's exploitation could potentially allow attackers to bypass security controls, install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access to compromised systems. Given the widespread deployment of Adobe Flash Player across various platforms and applications, the potential attack surface was extensive, making this vulnerability a prime target for cybercriminals and nation-state actors seeking to leverage zero-day exploits for advanced persistent threats.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8044 focused primarily on immediate patching and application of vendor security updates to ensure all affected Adobe Flash Player and AIR runtime installations were updated to versions that addressed the memory management flaw. Organizations were advised to implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all vulnerable systems were updated promptly. Additional defensive measures included disabling Flash Player in web browsers, implementing network-based security controls to block malicious SWF content, and deploying application whitelisting solutions to prevent execution of untrusted Flash content. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability would be categorized under techniques involving exploitation of vulnerabilities and privilege escalation, with the initial compromise typically occurring through the execution of malicious web content that leverages the use-after-free condition to gain system-level access. The vulnerability also highlighted the importance of sandboxing mechanisms and memory safety features in modern runtime environments, leading to enhanced security practices in subsequent software development cycles.