CVE-2015-8408 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-2015-8045, CVE-2015-8047, CVE-2015-8060, 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 runtime environments contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks. This vulnerability affected multiple versions across different operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms. The flaw manifested as an unspecified vector that could be exploited by attackers to manipulate memory structures within the Flash Player process, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system instability. The vulnerability was distinct from several other related issues identified in the same security advisory cycle, indicating a separate code path or memory management flaw within the affected software components.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common memory corruption patterns that have been classified under CWE-125 as "Out-of-bounds Read" and CWE-787 as "Out-of-bounds Write" within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. Attackers could leverage this flaw through maliciously crafted Flash content delivered via web browsers or desktop applications that utilized the affected Flash Player versions. The vulnerability's exploitation typically involved manipulating heap memory structures or buffer management routines that could result in controlled memory corruption. This type of flaw commonly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1078.004 for "Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts" when considering the operational impact on system integrity and user privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was significant as it affected widely deployed software components that were integral to web browsing and desktop application execution environments. Organizations running affected versions of Adobe Flash Player and AIR were at risk of compromise through drive-by downloads or malicious websites that could trigger the memory corruption exploit. The vulnerability's presence in both runtime environments and development tools meant that not only end-user systems but also development environments could be compromised. The memory corruption nature of the vulnerability made detection and mitigation challenging as it could manifest in unpredictable ways depending on system memory layout and execution context.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of all affected versions to prevent exploitation. Organizations should have implemented network segmentation and web filtering controls to restrict access to potentially malicious Flash content. The remediation process involved updating to patched versions of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR, with specific attention to verifying that all components were properly updated across the enterprise environment. Security monitoring should have been enhanced to detect unusual memory allocation patterns or process behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, administrators should have considered disabling Flash content in web browsers and desktop applications where possible, implementing sandboxing controls, and conducting thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential compromise indicators within affected systems.