CVE-2015-8423 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-2015-8412, CVE-2015-8413, CVE-2015-8414, CVE-2015-8420, CVE-2015-8421, CVE-2015-8422, 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 • 11/10/2024
The CVE-2015-8423 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and related software components that existed across multiple platform versions and release streams. This vulnerability specifically affects Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.268 and 19.x and 20.x before 20.0.0.228 on Windows and OS X systems, along with Linux versions before 11.2.202.554, as well as Adobe AIR and AIR SDK versions prior to 20.0.0.204. The flaw falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-416 which describes use-after-free conditions where memory is accessed after it has been freed, creating opportunities for memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. This vulnerability is distinct from a series of related issues in the same year, indicating that attackers could exploit this specific memory management flaw without relying on the previously disclosed vulnerabilities.
The technical mechanism behind CVE-2015-8423 involves improper memory handling within the Flash Player runtime environment where certain objects or memory structures are freed from memory but remain accessible to subsequent operations. When an attacker can manipulate the execution flow to access freed memory locations, they can potentially overwrite critical data structures or function pointers, leading to complete system compromise. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Flash Player process, which typically runs with user-level permissions but can potentially escalate to higher privileges depending on system configuration and user context. The exploitation requires careful manipulation of the Flash Player's memory management system to ensure that freed memory is reused in a predictable manner, allowing for code injection or overwrite operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-8423 extends significantly across enterprise and individual computing environments where Adobe Flash Player was widely deployed. Organizations running affected versions of Flash Player, AIR, or AIR SDK were exposed to potential remote code execution attacks that could be delivered through malicious web content or compromised websites. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to systems, potentially installing malware, stealing sensitive data, or establishing persistent backdoors. The widespread adoption of Flash Player across web browsers and applications meant that exploitation could occur through various attack vectors including email attachments, web-based exploits, or compromised websites. This vulnerability particularly affected environments where users frequently accessed untrusted web content or where Flash Player was enabled by default, creating a broad attack surface for potential exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8423 require immediate patching of all affected Adobe products to the latest available versions. System administrators should prioritize updating Adobe Flash Player, Adobe AIR, and Adobe AIR SDK installations across all endpoints, particularly focusing on Windows and OS X platforms where the vulnerability was most prevalent. The implementation of web application firewalls and content filtering systems can provide additional protection by blocking access to known malicious Flash content. Organizations should also consider disabling Flash Player in web browsers where possible, especially in environments where Flash content is not required for business operations. Network segmentation and privilege separation can help limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs, while regular security monitoring and log analysis should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the risks associated with legacy software components that continue to be deployed in enterprise environments, as it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, making it a significant concern for cybersecurity teams managing enterprise security postures.