CVE-2016-1026 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-2016-1023, CVE-2016-1024, CVE-2016-1025, CVE-2016-1027, CVE-2016-1028, CVE-2016-1029, CVE-2016-1032, and CVE-2016-1033.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
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 operating systems. This vulnerability specifically 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 by versions before 11.2.202.616. The flaw manifested through unspecified attack vectors that distinguished it from a series of related vulnerabilities including CVE-2016-1012 through CVE-2016-1033, indicating a unique exploitation pathway within the Flash Player codebase. The memory corruption issue arose from improper handling of certain data structures during Flash Player's runtime execution, creating potential entry points for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities, both of which are common in multimedia player applications due to their complex memory management requirements. From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extended beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full system compromise capabilities, as attackers could leverage the memory corruption to execute malicious payloads directly within the Flash Player process space. The attack surface was particularly concerning given Flash Player's widespread deployment across enterprise environments and user systems, making this vulnerability an attractive target for advanced persistent threat actors seeking to establish persistent access to networks. The vulnerability's exploitation typically required a user to visit a malicious webpage containing specially crafted Flash content, triggering the memory corruption through malformed data processing within the Flash Player runtime environment. This attack pattern corresponds to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under initial access and execution phases, specifically leveraging web-based attack vectors to deliver malicious payloads. Organizations faced significant risk from this vulnerability as it could be exploited remotely without user interaction beyond visiting compromised websites, making traditional network-based defenses insufficient for protection. The memory corruption nature of the flaw meant that successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to bypass standard security controls and establish persistent backdoors within affected environments. Security researchers noted that the vulnerability's complexity and the sophistication required for exploitation made it particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios where adversaries possessed advanced capabilities to develop reliable exploitation techniques. The patching process for this vulnerability required immediate deployment across all affected systems, as the window for exploitation remained open until organizations applied the necessary security updates from Adobe. Network administrators needed to implement comprehensive monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and ensure that all Flash Player installations were updated to versions that contained the necessary memory safety improvements. The vulnerability also highlighted the broader security challenges associated with legacy multimedia platforms and underscored the importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls across all system components, particularly those with extensive runtime capabilities and complex memory management requirements.