CVE-2015-8065 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in 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 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-8048, CVE-2015-8049, CVE-2015-8050, CVE-2015-8055, CVE-2015-8056, CVE-2015-8057, CVE-2015-8058, CVE-2015-8059, CVE-2015-8061, CVE-2015-8062, CVE-2015-8063, CVE-2015-8064, CVE-2015-8066, CVE-2015-8067, CVE-2015-8068, CVE-2015-8069, CVE-2015-8070, CVE-2015-8071, CVE-2015-8401, CVE-2015-8402, CVE-2015-8403, CVE-2015-8404, CVE-2015-8405, CVE-2015-8406, CVE-2015-8410, CVE-2015-8411, CVE-2015-8412, CVE-2015-8413, CVE-2015-8414, CVE-2015-8420, CVE-2015-8421, CVE-2015-8422, CVE-2015-8423, CVE-2015-8424, CVE-2015-8425, CVE-2015-8426, CVE-2015-8427, CVE-2015-8428, CVE-2015-8429, CVE-2015-8430, CVE-2015-8431, CVE-2015-8432, CVE-2015-8433, CVE-2015-8434, CVE-2015-8435, CVE-2015-8436, CVE-2015-8437, CVE-2015-8441, CVE-2015-8442, CVE-2015-8447, CVE-2015-8448, CVE-2015-8449, CVE-2015-8450, CVE-2015-8452, and CVE-2015-8454.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2022
The CVE-2015-8065 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and related software components that was actively exploited in the wild during 2015. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 18.0.0.268 for Flash Player on Windows and OS X platforms, and before 11.2.202.554 on Linux systems, alongside Adobe AIR versions before 20.0.0.204 and corresponding SDK versions. The flaw stems from improper memory management where freed memory locations are accessed after being deallocated, creating opportunities for attackers to execute arbitrary code through unspecified attack vectors that differ from numerous other related vulnerabilities in the same timeframe. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-416 as a use-after-free condition, which is a well-documented class of memory safety issues that frequently leads to remote code execution exploits. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can leverage such memory corruption flaws to inject malicious code into running processes.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires attackers to manipulate Flash Player's memory management routines through crafted SWF content or web pages that trigger the specific memory access pattern. When Flash Player processes malicious content, it can cause a memory allocation to be freed while references to that memory location remain active, allowing attackers to overwrite freed memory with malicious payloads. This technique can be combined with other exploitation methods such as heap spraying to increase reliability of code execution. The impact extends beyond simple code execution as it can enable full system compromise, allowing attackers to bypass security controls, escalate privileges, and establish persistent access to vulnerable systems. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Adobe products and platforms, making it particularly dangerous as attackers can leverage multiple attack surfaces to target users across different operating systems.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability face significant operational risks including potential data breaches, system compromise, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. The widespread deployment of Adobe Flash Player across enterprise environments meant that organizations with legacy systems were particularly vulnerable to exploitation. Security teams needed to implement immediate patch management procedures to address the vulnerability, as the exploit could be delivered through standard web browsing activities without requiring user interaction. The vulnerability also highlighted the broader security challenges associated with legacy software components, as Flash Player had been a frequent target for attackers due to its complex codebase and frequent exploitation. Network administrators had to monitor for suspicious traffic patterns and implement web filtering controls to reduce exposure while patches were deployed.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8065 required immediate action including deployment of patches from Adobe, which addressed the memory management issues in Flash Player and AIR applications. Organizations should have implemented comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all affected systems were updated promptly, as the vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild. Additional protective measures included disabling Flash Player in web browsers, implementing web application firewalls, and deploying endpoint protection solutions with exploit prevention capabilities. The vulnerability demonstrated the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and highlighted the need for organizations to maintain inventories of all Flash Player installations across their networks. Security monitoring should have focused on detecting exploitation attempts through unusual memory access patterns and network traffic anomalies that could indicate successful exploitation of the vulnerability.