CVE-2016-0970 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-2016-0967, CVE-2016-0968, CVE-2016-0969, 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 • 07/07/2022
Adobe Flash Player and AIR runtime environments suffered from a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service conditions across multiple platforms and versions. This vulnerability specifically affected Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.329 and 19.x and 20.x versions before 20.0.0.306 on Windows and OS X systems, while Linux versions were impacted before 11.2.202.569. The issue also extended to Adobe AIR runtime environments and related SDKs, all before their respective patched versions. The flaw manifested through unspecified attack vectors that differed from a series of other related vulnerabilities, indicating a unique code path within the Flash Player runtime engine. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, representing an out-of-bounds read condition that could lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The attack surface was particularly broad given Flash Player's widespread adoption across web browsers and desktop applications, making it a prime target for exploitation. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represented a significant risk to enterprise environments where Flash content was commonly used for multimedia applications, web-based training modules, and interactive content. The memory corruption aspect meant that successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, as attackers could manipulate memory addresses and execute malicious code with the privileges of the Flash Player process. The vulnerability's impact was amplified by the fact that many users and organizations had Flash Player installed on their systems, creating a large potential attack surface. Security researchers classified this as a zero-day vulnerability during its initial disclosure, as the specific exploitation techniques were not widely known. The vulnerability's designation as a memory corruption issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers the use of scripting languages for execution. Organizations needed to implement immediate patch management procedures to address this vulnerability, as the attack vectors were likely already being exploited in the wild. The remediation process required careful consideration of compatibility issues, as Flash Player was deeply integrated into many enterprise applications and websites. Network administrators had to balance the need for immediate security patches against potential service disruptions caused by compatibility problems with legacy Flash applications. This vulnerability highlighted the ongoing security challenges associated with legacy software components and the difficulty of maintaining secure environments when dealing with widely deployed but outdated technologies.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involved sophisticated memory manipulation techniques that could be leveraged by remote attackers. The memory corruption aspect meant that attackers could potentially overwrite critical memory structures, leading to unpredictable behavior and system instability. The specific implementation details of the vulnerability were not fully disclosed in the initial CVE description, but the classification as a memory corruption issue suggested that the problem occurred during Flash Player's handling of malformed input data or specific multimedia content. The fact that this vulnerability was separate from several others in the same advisory period indicated that it involved a distinct code path within the Flash Player runtime engine, possibly related to how the application processed certain types of multimedia data or handled memory allocation for dynamic content rendering. The vulnerability's exploitation required remote access capabilities, as attackers could deliver malicious Flash content through web browsers or other applications that supported Flash playback. The attack vectors likely involved crafted Flash files or web content that would trigger the memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable Flash Player runtime. Given the complexity of the Flash Player architecture and its integration with web browsers, the exploitation process could potentially bypass traditional security controls and execute code at the system level.
Organizations that relied on Flash Player for business-critical applications faced significant operational challenges in addressing this vulnerability. The patching process required careful testing to ensure that existing Flash-based applications continued to function correctly after the security updates were applied. Many enterprises had legacy systems that depended on Flash Player for essential business processes, making immediate patch deployment difficult. The vulnerability's impact extended beyond individual systems to entire network infrastructures, as Flash Player was often used in web applications that were accessed by multiple users simultaneously. Security teams needed to implement comprehensive monitoring and detection capabilities to identify potential exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. The remediation strategy required coordination between different IT departments, including security operations, application support, and network administration teams. Organizations had to evaluate their overall Flash Player usage patterns and develop plans for phasing out the technology, as this vulnerability highlighted the inherent risks associated with maintaining outdated software components. The vulnerability also emphasized the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust vulnerability management processes. Many organizations had to balance the immediate security risk against the potential disruption caused by patching operations, particularly in environments where Flash Player was deeply embedded in business-critical workflows. The incident demonstrated the ongoing challenges of managing security risks in legacy software environments and the need for proactive migration strategies to more secure modern alternatives. The vulnerability's exploitation potential made it a high-priority target for threat actors, necessitating immediate action from security teams to protect their environments from potential compromise.