CVE-2016-4230 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE • 01/25/2023
Use-after-free vulnerability in 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 via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-4173, CVE-2016-4174, CVE-2016-4222, CVE-2016-4226, CVE-2016-4227, CVE-2016-4228, CVE-2016-4229, CVE-2016-4231, and CVE-2016-4248.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2024
The CVE-2016-4230 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player that affected multiple version ranges across different operating systems. This vulnerability specifically impacted Windows and macOS versions before 18.0.0.366 and 19.x through 22.x before 22.0.0.209, while Linux systems were affected before version 11.2.202.632. The flaw falls under the CWE-416 category of Use After Free, which occurs when a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate program execution flow. This particular vulnerability is distinct from several other related issues including CVE-2016-4173 through CVE-2016-4248, indicating it represents a separate code path or implementation flaw within the Flash Player runtime environment.
The technical exploitation of this use-after-free vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems through unspecified attack vectors that leverage the memory management flaw. When Flash Player processes certain multimedia content or web elements, the vulnerable code path allows for memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to that freed memory region. This creates a predictable memory layout that attackers can manipulate to inject and execute malicious code with the privileges of the Flash Player process. The vulnerability's exploitation typically involves crafting specially crafted Flash content or web pages that trigger the specific memory management sequence leading to code execution.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to enterprise and individual users who rely on Flash Player for web content delivery. The ability to execute arbitrary code remotely means that attackers could potentially compromise entire systems without user interaction, especially when Flash Player is used to process web content automatically. The vulnerability's presence in widely deployed Flash Player versions across multiple platforms makes it particularly dangerous as it affects a large user base. Security researchers have mapped this vulnerability to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Windows Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers could leverage the executed code to establish persistence or escalate privileges within compromised systems.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Flash Player installations to mitigate this vulnerability, as Adobe released security updates addressing the issue in versions 18.0.0.366, 22.0.0.209, and 11.2.202.632 respectively for each platform. The recommended mitigation strategy includes implementing strict Flash Player policy controls, disabling Flash Player in web browsers where possible, and monitoring network traffic for exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider deploying network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malicious Flash content. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected Flash Player versions and implement automated patch management processes to ensure timely remediation across all endpoints. The vulnerability's classification as a use-after-free flaw also emphasizes the importance of memory safety practices and static code analysis in preventing similar issues in future software development cycles.