CVE-2016-1023 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-2016-1020, CVE-2016-1021, CVE-2016-1022, 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 specific patched releases contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution attacks on Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. This vulnerability affected Flash Player versions before 18.0.0.343 and 19.x through 21.x before 21.0.0.213 on Windows and OS X platforms, while Linux systems were impacted before version 11.2.202.616. The flaw manifested through unspecified attack vectors that differed from several other vulnerabilities documented in the same timeframe, indicating a distinct code path within the Flash Player runtime environment. Memory corruption vulnerabilities of this nature typically arise from improper handling of memory allocation, deallocation, or data processing operations that can lead to buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other heap manipulation issues. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-119, which covers "Improper Access to Memory Location" and CWE-787, addressing "Out-of-bounds Write" conditions that are frequently exploited in browser-based attack scenarios.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extended beyond simple denial of service conditions to enable full remote code execution capabilities for attackers who could craft malicious content designed to exploit the memory corruption flaw. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability by delivering malicious Flash content through web browsers, potentially compromising user systems without requiring any user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The attack surface was particularly broad given Flash Player's widespread deployment across enterprise and consumer environments, making it an attractive target for threat actors seeking to establish persistent access to compromised systems. This vulnerability exemplifies the typical attack pattern described in the attack technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic" and T1059.006 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: Python" within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, where malicious code execution leads to post-compromise system control and potential lateral movement.
Security researchers identified this vulnerability through extensive analysis of Flash Player's memory management routines and code execution pathways, particularly focusing on how the player handled various multimedia content processing operations. The exploitation process typically involved crafting specially crafted Flash files or web content that would trigger the memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable Flash Player runtime. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Flash Player remains enabled despite its known security risks, as it can bypass many traditional security controls and network defenses. Organizations that failed to patch this vulnerability were exposed to significant risk of compromise, as the memory corruption could be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Flash Player process, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patch deployment across all affected systems, as the memory corruption flaw did not require user interaction to exploit and could be triggered through automated web browsing activities. System administrators should have implemented comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all Flash Player installations were updated to the patched versions, while also considering the broader security implications of continuing to use Flash Player in enterprise environments. Organizations were advised to disable Flash Player entirely in browsers where possible, as the vulnerability landscape for Flash Player was particularly severe with multiple critical vulnerabilities discovered in 2016 alone. The incident highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date software security practices and demonstrated how legacy software components could serve as persistent attack vectors in modern security environments, reinforcing the security principle of least privilege and the need for regular security assessments of deployed software components.