CVE-2016-0960 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.333 and 19.x through 21.x before 21.0.0.182 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.577 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 21.0.0.176, Adobe AIR SDK before 21.0.0.176, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 21.0.0.176 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0961, CVE-2016-0962, CVE-2016-0986, CVE-2016-0989, CVE-2016-0992, CVE-2016-1002, and CVE-2016-1005.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2022
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.333 and 19.x through 21.x before 21.0.0.182 on Windows and OS X platforms, along with versions before 11.2.202.577 on Linux, as well as Adobe AIR versions before 21.0.0.176 and related SDK components, contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks. This vulnerability represented a distinct security flaw from several other related CVEs published in the same timeframe, indicating a broader class of issues within Adobe's multimedia runtime environment. The unspecified vectors through which attackers could exploit this vulnerability typically involved malformed Flash content delivered through web browsers or other applications that embedded Flash Player components. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability allowed attackers to manipulate heap memory structures, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the affected user. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can result in memory corruption and unauthorized code execution. The attack surface was particularly broad given Flash Player's widespread deployment across multiple operating systems and platforms, making it an attractive target for adversaries seeking to exploit user systems through web-based delivery mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extended beyond simple exploitation scenarios, as it could be leveraged for persistent attacks against enterprise networks and individual users. Attackers could craft malicious Flash content that would trigger the memory corruption when executed by vulnerable applications, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's presence in both desktop and mobile Flash Player versions meant that organizations needed to maintain comprehensive patch management strategies across all their computing environments. Security researchers noted that the exploitability of this vulnerability was enhanced by its ability to work through multiple attack vectors, including web browsing, email attachments, and file downloads. The complexity of the underlying Flash Player architecture made this particular memory corruption issue particularly challenging to defend against, as it could be triggered through legitimate application functionality while remaining difficult to detect through traditional security monitoring approaches. Organizations implementing defensive measures needed to consider both immediate patching strategies and long-term migration away from Flash-based technologies due to the inherent security limitations of the platform.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate action from system administrators and security teams to deploy patches from Adobe's official security advisories. The recommended approach involved updating all affected Flash Player installations across Windows, OS X, and Linux platforms, along with corresponding Adobe AIR and SDK components. Organizations should have implemented network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems to block known malicious Flash content until full patches could be deployed. Security teams needed to monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and endpoint detection systems, as the memory corruption could manifest in various forms including process crashes, unexpected application behavior, or system instability. The vulnerability's characteristics aligned with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers legitimate user execution through web-based attacks, emphasizing the need for comprehensive defense-in-depth strategies. Additionally, the incident highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date security intelligence feeds and implementing automated patch management systems to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future. Organizations should have also considered implementing sandboxing technologies and user privilege controls to limit the potential damage from successful exploits, particularly in high-value environments where Flash Player was still actively used.