CVE-2016-4237 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-2016-4235, CVE-2016-4236, 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 code execution and denial of service attacks. This vulnerability represents a distinct threat vector from numerous other CVEs affecting the same product line during the same timeframe, indicating a complex attack surface that required multiple remediation efforts.
The technical flaw manifested through unspecified attack vectors that resulted in memory corruption conditions within the Flash Player runtime environment. Memory corruption vulnerabilities typically arise from improper handling of memory allocation, deallocation, or access patterns within software applications. In the context of Flash Player, this could involve buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory management errors that occur when processing multimedia content or handling user input through the Flash runtime. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue aligns with common attack patterns targeting multimedia frameworks, where malformed input can trigger unpredictable behavior in memory management systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extended beyond simple denial of service scenarios to enable full remote code execution capabilities. Attackers could leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code on affected systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affected multiple platform architectures including Windows, OS X, and Linux, demonstrating the cross-platform nature of the Flash Player threat landscape. This widespread impact required coordinated patching efforts across different operating system environments and highlighted the critical dependency organizations had on Flash Player for web content delivery.
Security researchers and threat actors identified this vulnerability as part of a broader pattern of flaws affecting Adobe Flash Player during 2016, with the specific nature of the vulnerability differing from other reported issues in the same timeframe. The vulnerability's exploitation required attackers to craft malicious content that would trigger the memory corruption condition when processed by the Flash Player runtime. This typically involved delivering specially crafted SWF files or other Flash content that would cause the application to corrupt memory structures, potentially allowing attackers to execute code with the privileges of the Flash Player process. The vulnerability's presence in multiple major release versions demonstrated the complexity of Flash Player's codebase and the challenges in maintaining memory safety across different platform implementations.
Organizations should have implemented immediate patch management procedures to upgrade to patched versions of Flash Player, as the vulnerability represented a high-severity risk requiring urgent remediation. The mitigation strategy involved not only updating the Flash Player runtime but also considering the broader implications for web content delivery and the eventual deprecation of Flash Player technology. Security teams needed to monitor for exploitation attempts and implement network-based protections such as content filtering and web application firewalls to prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability exemplified the risks associated with legacy multimedia technologies and contributed to the industry-wide shift away from Flash Player towards modern web standards. The ATT&CK framework would classify this vulnerability under techniques related to memory corruption and privilege escalation, while CWE classification would likely involve memory safety issues such as CWE-121, CWE-122, or related buffer overflow conditions that enable arbitrary code execution in application contexts.