CVE-2015-8045 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.268 and 19.x and 20.x before 20.0.0.228 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.554 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 20.0.0.204, Adobe AIR SDK before 20.0.0.204, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 20.0.0.204 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-8047, CVE-2015-8060, CVE-2015-8408, CVE-2015-8416, CVE-2015-8417, CVE-2015-8418, CVE-2015-8419, CVE-2015-8443, CVE-2015-8444, CVE-2015-8451, and CVE-2015-8455.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2022
Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR suffered from a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service conditions across multiple platform versions. This vulnerability manifested in the form of unspecified attack vectors that could be exploited by malicious actors to compromise systems running affected software versions. The flaw existed in the way the software handled certain memory operations, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the running Flash Player or AIR application. The vulnerability affected Windows and macOS versions of Flash Player prior to 18.0.0.268 and 19.x and 20.x versions before 20.0.0.228, while Linux versions were impacted before 11.2.202.554. Additionally, Adobe AIR applications and SDKs were vulnerable before version 20.0.0.204, representing a significant attack surface that could be leveraged by threat actors. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack tree framework where memory corruption flaws can be exploited to achieve privilege escalation and persistent access to compromised systems. This particular vulnerability was distinct from several other related issues in the same year, indicating a separate code path or implementation flaw that required specific patching approaches. The technical nature of the flaw suggests it could be exploited through crafted SWF files or web content that when loaded by the vulnerable Flash Player would trigger the memory corruption. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be delivered through web browsers without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website, making it a prime target for drive-by download attacks and advanced persistent threat campaigns. The impact extends beyond simple code execution to include potential system instability and complete compromise of user environments, especially given Flash Player's widespread deployment across enterprise and consumer systems. Organizations implementing security controls should consider this vulnerability in the context of the attack chain where initial compromise often occurs through web-based attacks that leverage memory corruption flaws. The remediation approach required comprehensive patching of all affected platforms and versions, with particular attention to the specific version numbers mentioned in the advisory to ensure complete remediation. Security teams should also implement network-based detection measures to identify potential exploitation attempts and monitor for unusual memory access patterns that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.
This vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risks associated with rich media platforms that execute untrusted content in memory, where the attack surface is expanded by the complex nature of multimedia processing. The memory corruption characteristics align with common software security weaknesses documented in the CWE database, particularly those related to improper handling of memory operations and buffer overflows. The attack pattern suggests a classic heap-based memory corruption exploit that could be used to overwrite critical memory structures and redirect execution flow. The fact that this vulnerability was separate from multiple other reported issues indicates that it likely stemmed from different code paths or implementation details within the Flash Player and AIR runtime environments. The security implications extend to the broader ecosystem where Flash Player was commonly used, as exploitation could provide attackers with access to sensitive user data and system resources. Organizations should consider this vulnerability in their risk assessment frameworks, particularly in relation to the ATT&CK framework's execution and privilege escalation techniques that leverage memory corruption flaws. The patching requirements for this vulnerability were extensive across multiple platforms and versions, requiring careful coordination and testing to ensure complete remediation without introducing compatibility issues. This type of vulnerability also highlights the importance of keeping multimedia frameworks updated, as the complexity and attack surface of such systems make them attractive targets for sophisticated adversaries. The remediation process required not only updating the core Flash Player installations but also ensuring that all AIR applications and SDKs were properly patched, creating a multi-layered approach to vulnerability management that organizations needed to implement across their entire software ecosystem.