CVE-2016-0967 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.329 and 19.x and 20.x before 20.0.0.306 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.569 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 20.0.0.260, Adobe AIR SDK before 20.0.0.260, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 20.0.0.260 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0964, CVE-2016-0965, CVE-2016-0966, CVE-2016-0968, CVE-2016-0969, CVE-2016-0970, CVE-2016-0972, CVE-2016-0976, CVE-2016-0977, CVE-2016-0978, CVE-2016-0979, CVE-2016-0980, and CVE-2016-0981.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2024
Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR runtime environments suffered from a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service conditions. This vulnerability existed in multiple product versions across different operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms. The flaw manifested as an unspecified vector that could be exploited by attackers to manipulate memory structures within the affected applications. Security researchers identified this issue as distinct from several other vulnerabilities within the same advisory cycle, emphasizing its unique exploitation characteristics and attack surface.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under memory corruption patterns that are commonly classified as CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, or similar memory management flaws. When exploited, the vulnerability allowed attackers to manipulate the application's memory layout, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the affected process. The attack vectors likely involved crafting malicious Flash content or AIR applications that would trigger the memory corruption during normal execution flows. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be delivered through web browsers or standalone applications, making it accessible to a wide range of potential targets.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-0967 was significant for organizations relying on Flash-based content delivery, as the vulnerability could be exploited through web browsers without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a compromised website. The memory corruption could result in application crashes, system instability, or full system compromise depending on the exploitation method. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, or deploy additional malicious payloads. Organizations running affected versions of Flash Player or AIR runtime environments faced increased risk of targeted attacks, especially in environments where users frequently visited untrusted websites or downloaded content from third-party sources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of all affected Adobe Flash Player and AIR runtime versions across supported platforms. System administrators should have prioritized deployment of Adobe's security updates, which addressed the underlying memory corruption issues through improved input validation and memory management routines. Network security controls including web application firewalls and content filtering systems could provide additional layers of protection by blocking malicious Flash content. Organizations should have implemented strict software update policies and monitoring procedures to detect and remediate vulnerable systems promptly. The vulnerability also highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and transitioning away from deprecated technologies like Flash Player, which was eventually discontinued by Adobe in 2020. This incident reinforced the ATT&CK framework concept of privilege escalation through memory corruption techniques and demonstrated the critical need for comprehensive vulnerability management programs.