CVE-2016-1005 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 (uninitialized pointer dereference and memory corruption) via crafted MPEG-4 data, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0960, CVE-2016-0961, CVE-2016-0962, CVE-2016-0986, CVE-2016-0989, CVE-2016-0992, and CVE-2016-1002.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2024
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 affected versions on Linux before 11.2.202.577, as well as Adobe AIR versions before 21.0.0.176 and related SDK versions, contained a critical vulnerability that enabled remote code execution through maliciously crafted MPEG-4 media files. This vulnerability represents an uninitialized pointer dereference and memory corruption flaw that occurs during the processing of specially crafted MPEG-4 data streams, distinguishing it from other related vulnerabilities such as CVE-2016-0960 through CVE-2016-1002. The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-476, which describes null pointer dereference conditions, and falls under the broader category of memory corruption vulnerabilities that are frequently exploited in zero-day attacks. The flaw manifests when Flash Player attempts to parse malformed MPEG-4 video data without proper validation of pointer initialization, leading to unpredictable behavior that attackers can leverage to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple platforms and applications, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where Adobe Flash Player remains widely deployed. Attackers can craft malicious MPEG-4 files that, when opened in vulnerable Flash Player versions, trigger the uninitialized pointer dereference, potentially allowing for complete system compromise. The vulnerability's exploitation requires no user interaction beyond viewing the malicious content, making it particularly effective for drive-by download attacks and social engineering campaigns. From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploiting software vulnerabilities to gain execution privileges, and T1059, which encompasses command and scripting interpreter usage for payload delivery. The memory corruption aspect of the vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to overwrite critical memory regions, potentially enabling privilege escalation and persistent backdoor installation.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies focusing on immediate patching of all affected Adobe Flash Player and AIR installations across all supported platforms. The recommended remediation approach includes deploying patches from Adobe that address the specific memory corruption and pointer dereference issues in the MPEG-4 parsing code. System administrators should also consider implementing network-based controls such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block access to known malicious Flash content. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected versions of Adobe Flash Player, Adobe AIR, and related SDK components. The remediation process should also include disabling Flash Player in web browsers where possible, implementing application whitelisting policies, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious MPEG-4 content delivery patterns. Security teams should also prepare incident response procedures that account for potential exploitation of this vulnerability, particularly focusing on memory analysis and forensic investigation techniques that can detect the specific memory corruption patterns associated with this CVE.