CVE-2016-4242 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-2016-4237, CVE-2016-4238, CVE-2016-4239, CVE-2016-4240, CVE-2016-4241, CVE-2016-4243, CVE-2016-4244, CVE-2016-4245, and CVE-2016-4246.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
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 timeframe, specifically excluding CVE-2016-4172 through CVE-2016-4246, making it particularly challenging for security teams to identify and patch. The flaw manifested through unspecified attack vectors that allowed malicious actors to manipulate memory structures within the Flash Player runtime environment, creating opportunities for arbitrary code execution on targeted systems. The vulnerability's impact extended across multiple operating systems including Windows and macOS, with Linux versions also affected but requiring older software versions to be exploitable. Memory corruption vulnerabilities of this nature typically arise from improper handling of memory allocation, deallocation, or pointer operations within software applications, often resulting in buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions. The technical nature of this flaw aligns with common software security weaknesses documented in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, particularly CWE-125 for out-of-bounds read conditions and CWE-787 for out-of-bounds write conditions. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability created significant risk for organizations relying on Flash Player for web content delivery, as attackers could exploit it through web browsers without requiring user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments. The attack surface expanded due to Flash Player's widespread deployment across various applications and websites, allowing threat actors to leverage the vulnerability through compromised web pages or malicious advertisements. Security researchers classified this issue as a high-severity threat within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically relating to privilege escalation and execution techniques that could be employed through web-based attack vectors. Organizations faced substantial risk of data breaches, system compromise, and service disruption when systems remained unpatched, as the vulnerability provided attackers with direct pathways to execute malicious payloads within the context of the Flash Player process. The memory corruption nature of the flaw meant that exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, with attackers potentially gaining elevated privileges and establishing persistent access to affected systems. This vulnerability underscored the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing robust patch management processes to prevent exploitation of known security flaws. The issue highlighted the inherent risks associated with legacy software platforms like Flash Player, which had become increasingly vulnerable as security researchers identified numerous flaws across different versions and releases. Organizations needed to prioritize immediate patch deployment and implement additional security controls such as browser sandboxing, content filtering, and network monitoring to mitigate exposure while transitioning away from Flash-based content. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue placed it within the broader category of software security weaknesses that require careful attention to proper memory management practices and comprehensive code review processes to prevent similar flaws from emerging in future software releases.