CVE-2016-1020 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE • 01/26/2023
Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.343 and 19.x through 21.x before 21.0.0.213 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.616 on Linux allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-1012, CVE-2016-1021, CVE-2016-1022, CVE-2016-1023, CVE-2016-1024, CVE-2016-1025, CVE-2016-1026, CVE-2016-1027, CVE-2016-1028, CVE-2016-1029, CVE-2016-1032, and CVE-2016-1033.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2023
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.343 on Windows and OS X and versions 19.x through 21.x before 21.0.0.213 on the same platforms as well as versions before 11.2.202.616 on Linux contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution attacks. This vulnerability represents a distinct issue from several other Flash Player flaws identified in 2016, indicating that attackers could exploit unspecified vectors within the player's code execution environment to gain unauthorized system access. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the CWE-125 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to arbitrary code execution. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability could potentially execute malicious code on affected systems or cause denial of service conditions through memory corruption techniques. The flaw existed across multiple platform versions, demonstrating the widespread nature of the issue and its potential impact on diverse operating environments. This vulnerability is particularly concerning from an operational security perspective as it affected widely deployed Flash Player versions and could be exploited through web browsers or other applications that embedded Flash content. The attack surface was extensive given Flash Player's prevalence in web browsers and enterprise environments, making this vulnerability a high-priority target for threat actors seeking persistent system access. Organizations utilizing affected Flash Player versions faced significant risk of compromise, as the vulnerability could be triggered through standard web browsing activities without requiring user interaction beyond visiting malicious websites. The technical nature of the flaw suggests it may have involved improper memory management or buffer handling within Flash Player's ActionScript execution engine, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory contents and execute arbitrary instructions. From a threat modeling standpoint, this vulnerability fits within the MITRE ATT&CK framework's technique category for privilege escalation and code execution, specifically targeting the execution of malicious payloads through compromised software components. The fact that this vulnerability was separate from other related CVEs in the same year indicates it represented a unique memory corruption pattern rather than a common class of flaws affecting the player's core architecture. Security researchers identified that exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to complete system compromise, as memory corruption issues often provide attackers with direct control over program execution flow. The remediation required immediate patching of Flash Player installations across all affected platforms, highlighting the critical importance of keeping multimedia software components up to date. Organizations needed to implement comprehensive patch management processes to address this vulnerability, as the attack vectors were not limited to web browsers but could also be triggered through Flash content embedded in email attachments or other applications. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple major versions demonstrates the complexity of maintaining secure Flash Player implementations and the challenges inherent in updating legacy multimedia frameworks. This issue underscores the broader security implications of widespread multimedia software deployment and the need for organizations to maintain strict control over their software ecosystems to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other components. The memory corruption nature of the flaw indicates that attackers could potentially manipulate heap memory or stack structures within the Flash Player process, leading to unauthorized code execution with the privileges of the running Flash plugin. The vulnerability's impact extended beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as successful exploitation could provide attackers with persistent access to compromised systems through the execution of malicious code. Given the widespread adoption of Flash Player across enterprise environments, the potential for large-scale exploitation made this vulnerability particularly dangerous from a cybersecurity perspective. The specific version ranges affected suggest that Adobe had been working on addressing memory corruption issues in their Flash Player implementation but had not yet resolved this particular instance. This vulnerability exemplifies the challenges faced by security professionals in defending against complex software flaws that can be exploited through multiple attack vectors. The presence of this flaw in both Windows and OS X operating systems, as well as Linux platforms, indicated that the memory corruption issue was present at the core Flash Player execution layer rather than being platform-specific. Organizations needed to implement immediate mitigation strategies including disabling Flash Player plugins in web browsers, updating to patched versions, and monitoring for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue aligns with common patterns found in the CWE-787 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds write conditions that can result in arbitrary code execution. This particular vulnerability demonstrated how multimedia software components could serve as attack vectors for sophisticated exploitation techniques, emphasizing the importance of maintaining secure multimedia frameworks in enterprise security architectures. The separate identification of this vulnerability from other related CVEs in 2016 indicates that it represented a distinct memory corruption pattern that required specific remediation approaches rather than general Flash Player security updates. The operational impact of this vulnerability required organizations to conduct immediate security assessments of their Flash Player deployments and implement comprehensive patching schedules to prevent exploitation attempts.