CVE-2016-4129 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE • 01/26/2023
Unspecified vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player 21.0.0.242 and earlier, as used in the Adobe Flash libraries in Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 and 11 and Microsoft Edge, has unknown impact and attack vectors, a different vulnerability than other CVEs listed in MS16-083.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2023
Adobe Flash Player versions 21.0.0.242 and earlier contained a critical unspecified vulnerability that affected Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 and 11, as well as Microsoft Edge browsers. This vulnerability represented a distinct security flaw separate from other issues documented in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS16-083, indicating that attackers could potentially exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary code or compromise affected systems. The vulnerability existed within the Adobe Flash libraries that were integrated into Microsoft's browser environments, creating a complex attack surface that combined the exploitation capabilities of both the Flash Player component and the browser itself.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stemmed from the interaction between Adobe Flash Player's runtime environment and Microsoft's browser implementations. When users visited malicious websites or opened compromised Flash content, the vulnerability could be triggered through memory corruption or code execution flaws within the Flash Player's handling of specific media or script elements. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-119 which addresses weaknesses in memory handling, particularly buffer overflows or memory corruption issues that allow attackers to execute arbitrary code. The complexity of the attack surface was amplified by the fact that Flash Player was embedded within multiple browser environments, each potentially presenting different exploitation vectors and attack surfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was significant given the widespread adoption of Adobe Flash Player across both enterprise and consumer environments. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to systems, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or establishment of persistent backdoors. The attack vectors were likely to include drive-by downloads, malicious websites hosting compromised Flash content, or spear-phishing campaigns targeting specific organizations. Organizations running affected versions of Internet Explorer or Edge were particularly vulnerable, as these browsers had built-in Flash Player support that made exploitation more straightforward. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified meant that security researchers and defenders had limited information about the exact nature of the flaw, making defensive measures more challenging.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of Adobe Flash Player to versions that addressed the specific memory handling or code execution flaws. Organizations needed to ensure that all affected browsers had updated Flash Player components installed, as Microsoft Edge users would need to update their Flash Player runtime separately from their browser updates. System administrators should have implemented additional network-level protections such as content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The remediation process also required careful testing of updated Flash Player versions to ensure compatibility with existing applications and web content. Security teams needed to monitor for exploitation attempts and maintain awareness of any emerging indicators of compromise related to this specific vulnerability. Organizations should have considered implementing additional security controls such as disabling Flash Player entirely for users who did not require its functionality, particularly in high-risk environments where the potential impact of exploitation was severe.