CVE-2015-8433 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-2015-8423, 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-2015-8434, 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-2015-8433 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player and related software components that existed across multiple versions and platforms. This vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-416 which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions where a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed, creating opportunities for arbitrary code execution. The affected software versions include 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 platforms, along with Adobe AIR versions before 20.0.0.204 and corresponding SDK versions. The vulnerability affects Linux systems with Adobe Flash Player versions before 11.2.202.554, demonstrating the widespread nature of this flaw across different operating environments.
The technical exploitation of this use-after-free vulnerability occurs when malicious actors manipulate memory management operations within the Flash Player runtime environment. Attackers can trigger the vulnerability through specially crafted Flash content that causes the application to free memory locations while still maintaining references to them. This creates a scenario where subsequent operations can overwrite the freed memory with attacker-controlled data, ultimately leading to code execution in the context of the vulnerable application. The exploit mechanism operates by leveraging the inherent memory management flaws in how Flash Player handles object lifecycle management and garbage collection processes. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Flash Player process, which typically runs with elevated permissions in web browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-8433 extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with a pathway to establish persistent access to compromised systems. The vulnerability's presence in widely deployed software components means that successful exploitation could result in significant security breaches across enterprise and consumer environments. The attack surface is particularly broad given that Adobe Flash Player was ubiquitous in web browsers and supported numerous platforms including Windows, OS X, and Linux systems. Security researchers have documented that this vulnerability can be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks, information disclosure, and the installation of additional malicious software. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers the use of scripting languages for execution, and T1068 which addresses local privilege escalation through software vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8433 primarily focus on immediate remediation through software updates and patches provided by Adobe. Organizations should prioritize patching all affected versions of Adobe Flash Player, AIR, and related SDK components to prevent exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include implementing browser security configurations that disable Flash content execution, utilizing sandboxing technologies, and deploying network monitoring solutions to detect suspicious Flash-related activities. The vulnerability's nature as a memory corruption issue makes it particularly susceptible to exploit prevention techniques including address space layout randomization, data execution prevention, and stack canaries. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block potentially malicious Flash content from reaching end-user systems, as this vulnerability represents a classic attack vector that was frequently exploited in the wild during its active threat period.