CVE-2016-4247 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE • 01/26/2023
Race condition 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 obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4247 represents a critical race condition flaw within Adobe Flash Player that affected multiple versions across different operating systems. This issue specifically impacted 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. The race condition vulnerability arises from improper synchronization mechanisms during concurrent execution of multiple threads or processes, creating window of opportunity for malicious exploitation. Such conditions typically occur when multiple processes attempt to access shared resources simultaneously without proper locking mechanisms or atomic operations.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified vectors that enable attackers to exploit the timing discrepancies inherent in the Flash Player's memory management and resource allocation processes. Race conditions of this nature often involve scenarios where the order of execution between competing threads can result in unpredictable behavior, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information that should remain protected. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-362, which specifically addresses race conditions in software implementations where concurrent access to shared resources creates security risks. This weakness commonly appears in systems where developers fail to implement proper mutual exclusion mechanisms or fail to consider the timing aspects of concurrent operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-4247 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges or gain deeper access to affected systems. The nature of race conditions makes them particularly dangerous because they may not consistently reproduce, making detection and remediation challenging for security teams. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability through crafted Flash content delivered via web browsers or other Flash Player execution environments, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, system compromise, or further attack escalation. The vulnerability's presence in widely deployed Flash Player versions across multiple platforms created substantial risk exposure for organizations relying on this technology for web content delivery.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including prompt patching of Flash Player installations to the latest secure versions, implementing network-based controls to block Flash content execution, and conducting comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all affected systems. The remediation strategy should incorporate the principle of least privilege and network segmentation to limit potential attack surface. Security professionals should also consider implementing behavioral monitoring solutions to detect anomalous execution patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability would map to techniques involving privilege escalation and defense evasion through the use of deprecated software components. The vulnerability's exploitation typically requires user interaction through web browsers, making user education and awareness programs essential components of the overall security posture. Regular security updates and patch management processes should be reinforced to prevent similar race condition vulnerabilities from emerging in other software components.