CVE-2016-4235 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-2016-4172, 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-2016-4236, 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 • 10/04/2024
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 code execution and denial of service attacks. This vulnerability represented a distinct threat vector from numerous other CVEs in the same year, specifically excluding the 34 related vulnerabilities mentioned in the description. The flaw manifested through unspecified attack vectors that leveraged memory corruption techniques, allowing attackers to manipulate the Flash Player's memory management processes and potentially execute arbitrary code on affected systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common software security weaknesses documented in the CWE database, particularly CWE-125 which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787 which covers out-of-bounds write operations. These memory corruption issues typically occur when software fails to properly validate input data or manage memory allocation, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious content that triggers buffer overflows or memory corruption states. The vulnerability's impact extended across multiple operating systems including Windows and macOS platforms, demonstrating the cross-platform nature of Flash Player's attack surface.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability created significant risk for organizations relying on Flash Player for web content delivery, as it could be exploited through web browsers without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The memory corruption nature meant that successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Flash Player process. This represents a critical threat in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers could leverage the compromised Flash Player to establish persistent access or escalate privileges.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability faced substantial risk of targeted attacks, particularly in environments where Flash Player remained enabled and active. The vulnerability's presence across multiple Flash Player versions indicated a fundamental flaw in the software's memory management rather than isolated issues in specific code paths. Security teams needed to prioritize immediate patching of all affected versions, as the vulnerability could be exploited through various web-based attack vectors including malicious advertisements, compromised websites, or spearphishing campaigns. The complexity of the attack vectors and the broad scope of affected versions made this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where legacy Flash content might still be in use.
Mitigation strategies focused primarily on immediate patch deployment to the latest available versions of Adobe Flash Player, as well as implementing network-based protections such as content filtering and web application firewalls to prevent access to malicious content. Organizations should also consider disabling Flash Player entirely where possible, as the vulnerability landscape for Flash Player had become increasingly problematic with multiple critical flaws discovered in 2016. The remediation process required careful testing of patched versions to ensure compatibility with existing web applications while maintaining security posture. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts through unusual memory access patterns or unexpected process behavior that might indicate successful exploitation of the memory corruption vulnerability.