CVE-2016-4243 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-2016-4242, 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, as well as 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, indicating that it involved unique exploitation mechanisms. The flaw manifested through unspecified attack vectors that could be leveraged by remote attackers to manipulate memory structures within the Flash Player runtime environment, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution on vulnerable systems. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common weakness enumeration CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can result in memory corruption. From an operational security perspective, this vulnerability posed significant risk to organizations relying on Flash Player for web content delivery, as it could be exploited through malicious web pages or compromised websites without requiring user interaction. Attackers could potentially leverage this flaw to execute malicious code with the privileges of the Flash Player process, potentially leading to full system compromise. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which involves the execution of malicious code through legitimate system processes. Organizations running affected Flash Player versions faced substantial exposure since Flash Player was widely deployed across enterprise environments and consumer systems, making it an attractive target for threat actors. The vulnerability's impact extended beyond simple denial of service to include complete system compromise, as memory corruption flaws often provide attackers with opportunities to escalate privileges and establish persistent access. The exploitation of this vulnerability required minimal user interaction, as it could be triggered through web browsing activities, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently accessed untrusted web content. Security researchers identified this issue as part of Adobe's ongoing efforts to address memory safety concerns in their Flash Player implementation, which had historically been plagued by numerous vulnerabilities. The affected versions represent a critical security gap that required immediate patching to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability's nature suggested it could be reliably exploited by attackers with basic technical knowledge. Organizations needed to implement immediate remediation measures including patching Flash Player installations, implementing network-based controls to block Flash content, or decommissioning Flash-based applications to prevent successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's presence in multiple Flash Player release channels underscored the complexity of maintaining secure Flash deployments across different operating systems and platform versions, highlighting the need for comprehensive vulnerability management processes. This particular vulnerability demonstrated the ongoing challenges in securing legacy software components that continue to be deployed despite known security risks, emphasizing the importance of timely patch management and software lifecycle planning. The technical nature of this memory corruption flaw suggested that attackers could potentially bypass modern security controls such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention mechanisms, making it particularly concerning for enterprise security teams. The vulnerability's impact was amplified by the widespread adoption of Flash Player across both enterprise and consumer environments, creating a large attack surface that could be leveraged by threat actors for various malicious activities including data exfiltration, system compromise, and persistent threat operations. Organizations needed to conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all affected systems and implement appropriate mitigations, including both immediate patching and longer-term strategies for phasing out Flash-based content and applications. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue indicated that it could potentially be combined with other exploitation techniques to create more sophisticated attack vectors, further increasing the risk to affected organizations and highlighting the importance of layered security approaches.