CVE-2016-4248 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE • 01/25/2023
Use-after-free vulnerability 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 execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-4173, CVE-2016-4174, CVE-2016-4222, CVE-2016-4226, CVE-2016-4227, CVE-2016-4228, CVE-2016-4229, CVE-2016-4230, and CVE-2016-4231.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/04/2024
The CVE-2016-4248 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player that affected multiple version ranges across different operating systems. This vulnerability specifically impacted Windows and macOS versions prior to 18.0.0.366 and 19.x through 22.x before 22.0.0.209, while Linux systems were affected before version 11.2.202.632. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of Use After Free, which occurs when a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate program execution flow. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it allows for arbitrary code execution, making it a prime target for exploitation in cyber attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the Flash Player runtime environment. When processing certain multimedia content or web pages, the player would free memory associated with specific objects while still maintaining references to those locations. Attackers could exploit this by crafting malicious content that would trigger the use-after-free condition, potentially allowing them to overwrite memory structures with malicious payloads. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the vulnerability could be triggered through various means including embedded multimedia content, web pages, or file processing operations within the Flash runtime environment. This makes the vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against as it can be exploited through multiple attack surfaces.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-4248 was severe given Flash Player's widespread deployment across enterprise and consumer environments. Organizations running affected versions of Flash Player were exposed to potential remote code execution attacks that could lead to full system compromise. The vulnerability's exploitation could result in persistent malware installation, data exfiltration, and lateral movement within networks. Security professionals noted that this vulnerability was particularly concerning because Flash Player was commonly used in enterprise environments for business-critical applications, making the potential attack surface extremely broad. The fact that this vulnerability was separate from other related CVEs in the same year indicates it was a distinct flaw requiring specific patches and mitigations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-4248 centered around immediate patching of affected systems, as Adobe released security updates addressing the memory management issues. Organizations implemented network segmentation and web content filtering to prevent access to potentially malicious Flash content. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1068 for Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, highlighting the multi-stage nature of attacks that could exploit such flaws. Security teams also recommended disabling Flash Player in browsers and implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted Flash content. The vulnerability underscored the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and implementing comprehensive patch management processes, as the use-after-free condition could be exploited in zero-day attacks before organizations had time to deploy official patches.