CVE-2015-8645 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.324 and 19.x and 20.x before 20.0.0.267 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.559 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 20.0.0.233, Adobe AIR SDK before 20.0.0.233, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 20.0.0.233 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-8459, CVE-2015-8460, and CVE-2015-8636.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/01/2022
Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR suffered from a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability affected multiple product versions across different operating systems including Windows, OS X, and Linux platforms. The flaw existed in the way these applications handled certain memory operations, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures and execute malicious code. The vulnerability was distinct from several other related issues including CVE-2015-8459, CVE-2015-8460, and CVE-2015-8636, indicating a separate code path or implementation flaw. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability aligns with common CWE categories related to memory safety issues such as CWE-119 Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer and CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write. The attack surface was particularly concerning as it affected widely deployed software across multiple platforms and operating systems, making it an attractive target for adversaries seeking to exploit Flash Player's broad user base. The vulnerability's impact extended beyond simple code execution to include potential denial of service conditions, where attackers could crash applications or render systems unstable through memory manipulation techniques.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability typically involved crafting specially malformed content that would trigger memory corruption when processed by the affected Flash Player or AIR applications. Attackers could leverage this flaw through various delivery mechanisms including malicious websites, email attachments, or compromised web applications that served Flash content. The memory corruption occurred during normal operation of the affected software, meaning that users could be compromised simply by visiting malicious websites or opening infected documents. This type of vulnerability represents a classic example of a heap-based buffer overflow or use-after-free condition that could be exploited to gain arbitrary code execution privileges. The vulnerability's presence in both runtime environments and development tools including AIR SDK and Compiler meant that developers could inadvertently create exploitable applications. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability created a significant risk for enterprises that relied on Flash-based applications, as the attack vectors were relatively simple to implement and the exploitation could occur without user interaction in many scenarios.
Organizations affected by CVE-2015-8645 needed to implement immediate mitigations including patching affected software to the latest versions, which addressed the memory corruption issues through code fixes and memory management improvements. The recommended approach involved updating Adobe Flash Player to version 18.0.0.324 or later, and versions 19.x and 20.x to 20.0.0.267 or later, while also updating Adobe AIR to version 20.0.0.233 or later. Network security measures such as content filtering and web application firewalls could provide additional protection by blocking malicious Flash content from reaching end users. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic, which involves using scripting languages to execute malicious code. System administrators should have implemented monitoring for unusual memory allocation patterns and process behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's widespread impact across multiple operating systems and software versions required comprehensive vulnerability management programs that could track and remediate similar issues across the enterprise. Security teams needed to prioritize this vulnerability due to its potential for remote code execution and the fact that it affected software that was widely deployed across enterprise environments. The remediation process also required careful testing of patches to ensure that updates did not break existing Flash-based applications that organizations relied upon for business operations.