CVE-2016-4172 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE • 01/25/2023
Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.366 and 19.x through 22.x before 22.0.0.209 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.632 on Linux allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-4175, CVE-2016-4179, CVE-2016-4180, CVE-2016-4181, CVE-2016-4182, CVE-2016-4183, CVE-2016-4184, CVE-2016-4185, CVE-2016-4186, CVE-2016-4187, CVE-2016-4188, CVE-2016-4189, CVE-2016-4190, CVE-2016-4217, CVE-2016-4218, CVE-2016-4219, CVE-2016-4220, CVE-2016-4221, CVE-2016-4233, CVE-2016-4234, CVE-2016-4235, CVE-2016-4236, CVE-2016-4237, CVE-2016-4238, CVE-2016-4239, CVE-2016-4240, CVE-2016-4241, CVE-2016-4242, CVE-2016-4243, CVE-2016-4244, CVE-2016-4245, and CVE-2016-4246.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2023
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.366 and 19.x through 22.x before 22.0.0.209 on Windows and OS X platforms, along with versions before 11.2.202.632 on Linux systems, contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution or cause denial of service conditions. This vulnerability represents a distinct threat vector from numerous other Flash Player flaws documented in the same year, highlighting the complex nature of software security issues in multimedia frameworks. The unspecified attack vectors suggest that the memory corruption could be triggered through various means within the Flash Player runtime environment, potentially including malformed multimedia content, network-based attacks, or manipulated file structures that the player processes during normal operation.
The technical flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that occurs within the Flash Player's handling of multimedia content and scripting elements, particularly affecting the player's ability to properly manage memory allocation and deallocation during content processing. This type of vulnerability typically arises from improper bounds checking, use-after-free conditions, or buffer overflow scenarios that allow attackers to manipulate memory structures in ways that can lead to code execution. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. These memory corruption issues are particularly dangerous because they can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Flash Player process, potentially leading to complete system compromise when users interact with malicious content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass serious security implications for enterprise environments and individual users. Attackers could leverage this flaw to execute malicious code on targeted systems, potentially establishing persistent backdoors, exfiltrating sensitive data, or deploying additional malware payloads. The widespread adoption of Flash Player across various operating systems and browsers made this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors, as it could be exploited across multiple platforms and environments. Organizations that had not yet patched their Flash Player installations faced significant risk of compromise, especially in environments where users regularly accessed web content that might contain malicious Flash content. The vulnerability's exploitation could occur through drive-by downloads, malicious websites, or compromised web applications that embedded Flash content, making it difficult for users to avoid exposure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of Flash Player installations across all supported platforms, with particular attention to the specific version ranges mentioned in the CVE description. Security administrators should have implemented comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all systems running Flash Player were updated to versions that contained the necessary security fixes. Additional protective measures included browser-based security enhancements, such as disabling Flash Player plugins in web browsers, implementing content filtering solutions, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. Organizations should have also considered implementing application whitelisting policies that restricted Flash Player execution to trusted environments only. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would likely be associated with techniques such as T1059 for command and control communications and T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation, as attackers could leverage the memory corruption to gain elevated system privileges and maintain persistent access to compromised systems.