CVE-2016-4276 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.375 and 19.x through 23.x before 23.0.0.162 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.635 on Linux allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-4274, CVE-2016-4275, CVE-2016-4280, CVE-2016-4281, CVE-2016-4282, CVE-2016-4283, CVE-2016-4284, CVE-2016-4285, CVE-2016-6922, and CVE-2016-6924.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2022
Adobe Flash Player contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution attacks on systems running affected versions across multiple operating systems. This vulnerability affected Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.375 on Windows and OS X, versions 19.x through 23.x before 23.0.0.162 on Windows and OS X, and versions before 11.2.202.635 on Linux. The flaw manifested through unspecified attack vectors that differed from several other related vulnerabilities in the same timeframe, indicating a distinct code path that could be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability classified under CWE-119 as a weakness related to memory corruption, specifically involving improper handling of memory operations that could lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability by crafting malicious Flash content that would trigger the memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable Flash Player component, potentially allowing them to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the Flash Player process. The attack surface was particularly broad given Flash Player's widespread deployment across web browsers and applications, making this vulnerability highly attractive to threat actors. Organizations running affected versions faced significant risk of compromise, as the vulnerability could be exploited through web-based attacks without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability aligned with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script interpreter execution, as successful exploitation would enable attackers to execute malicious code within the target system's memory space. This vulnerability highlighted the inherent security risks associated with rich internet application platforms like Flash Player, which required extensive memory management and complex code execution paths that could introduce exploitable conditions. The remediation approach for this vulnerability centered on immediate patching of Flash Player installations, with administrators needing to ensure all systems running affected versions were updated to patched releases. Security teams should have implemented network monitoring to detect exploitation attempts and deployed application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted Flash content. The vulnerability also underscored the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all system components, particularly those with extensive attack surfaces like multimedia and web application frameworks. Organizations needed to conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected Flash Player versions and prioritize remediation efforts based on risk exposure and system criticality. This particular vulnerability represented a significant concern for enterprise environments where Flash Player remained widely deployed for legacy applications, requiring careful coordination between security teams and application owners to ensure complete remediation across all affected systems. The technical complexity of memory corruption vulnerabilities like this one required specialized expertise for both exploitation and defense, making them particularly challenging to address in large enterprise environments with diverse software configurations and deployment scenarios.