CVE-2015-8412 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-2015-8065, 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-2015-8413, 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 • 11/09/2024
The CVE-2015-8412 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and related software components that has significant implications for system security and exploitability. This vulnerability affects multiple versions of Adobe Flash Player across different operating systems including Windows and OS X, as well as Linux platforms, alongside Adobe AIR and AIR SDK components. The use-after-free condition occurs when a program continues to reference memory that has already been freed, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory contents and potentially execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability is distinct from numerous other related issues within the same timeframe, indicating a unique exploitation vector that requires specific mitigation approaches.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within Adobe Flash Player's runtime environment where objects are not properly validated before being accessed after deallocation. This flaw allows attackers to craft malicious content that, when processed by the vulnerable Flash Player, causes the application to free memory resources while still maintaining references to them. Attackers can leverage this condition by controlling the memory layout and injecting malicious code into the freed memory space, effectively bypassing standard security mechanisms. The vulnerability's exploitation requires careful crafting of input data that triggers the specific memory management sequence leading to the use-after-free condition.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to organizations as it enables remote code execution without user interaction in many scenarios. The affected software components are widely deployed across enterprise environments, making the attack surface extensive and potentially affecting numerous users simultaneously. The vulnerability's presence in both desktop and mobile versions of Adobe Flash Player and AIR components means that organizations must consider multiple attack vectors when implementing mitigation strategies. Security operations teams face challenges in detecting exploitation attempts since the vulnerability can be triggered through various means including web-based attacks, email attachments, or malicious websites.
The impact of CVE-2015-8412 extends beyond immediate exploitation capabilities to encompass broader security implications for system integrity and data protection. Organizations utilizing affected versions of Adobe Flash Player face potential unauthorized access to sensitive systems, data breaches, and persistent threats that could compromise entire network infrastructures. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software development practices, highlighting the fundamental flaw in memory management that enables such attacks. This vulnerability also maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1070 for indicator removal on host, demonstrating the comprehensive attack surface that this flaw provides to adversaries.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8412 primarily focus on immediate remediation through software updates and patches provided by Adobe. Organizations should prioritize updating all affected Adobe Flash Player installations to versions 18.0.0.268, 19.x, 20.x, and 20.0.0.204 for AIR and related components. Additionally, implementing network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions can help prevent exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider disabling Flash Player in web browsers where possible and implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of vulnerable components. The vulnerability's severity classification as critical necessitates immediate action and comprehensive monitoring for exploitation attempts across all affected systems within an organization's infrastructure.