CVE-2016-4277 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 bypass intended access restrictions and obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-4271 and CVE-2016-4278.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2022
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.375 and 19.x through 23.x before 23.0.0.162 on Windows and OS X platforms and before 11.2.202.635 on Linux systems contained a critical information disclosure vulnerability that enabled attackers to circumvent intended access controls and extract sensitive data. This vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw from CVE-2016-4271 and CVE-2016-4278, indicating multiple attack vectors within the same software ecosystem. The unspecified vectors through which this information disclosure occurred likely involved memory corruption or improper access control mechanisms within the Flash Player runtime environment. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" in contexts where attackers might leverage such information to execute further malicious activities. The affected versions of Flash Player represent a critical attack surface since Flash Player was widely deployed across enterprise and consumer environments, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous when combined with other exploits that could lead to full system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability likely involved improper handling of memory operations or access control checks within Flash Player's ActionScript virtual machine or native code components. Attackers could potentially exploit this flaw to access memory regions that should have been restricted, thereby obtaining sensitive information such as user credentials, session tokens, or other confidential data that was not properly protected by the application's security model. The vulnerability's presence in multiple version ranges indicates a persistent flaw in the software's security architecture rather than a one-time coding error. This type of information disclosure vulnerability represents a significant risk to enterprise environments where Flash Player was commonly used for web-based applications, training materials, and internal business processes. The impact extends beyond simple data exposure since this information could be leveraged to perform additional attacks, including privilege escalation or lateral movement within network environments.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability faced substantial operational risks including potential data breaches, compliance violations, and increased attack surface exposure. The widespread deployment of Flash Player across both desktop and mobile platforms meant that this vulnerability could be exploited against a broad range of systems and applications. Security teams needed to prioritize patch management efforts to ensure all affected Flash Player installations were updated promptly, as the vulnerability could be exploited remotely without user interaction. The specific version ranges indicate that the vulnerability was present across multiple major releases, suggesting that Adobe's security team needed to address fundamental architectural issues rather than isolated coding errors. This vulnerability also highlighted the broader security challenges associated with legacy software platforms that continued to receive support despite known security risks, particularly in enterprise environments where older Flash-based applications remained operational.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patch deployment across all affected systems, with particular attention to enterprise environments where Flash Player was actively used in business-critical applications. Organizations should have implemented network monitoring to detect exploitation attempts and established incident response procedures to address potential data breaches. The vulnerability's nature suggested that attackers might combine it with other exploits to achieve more significant impacts, making comprehensive security assessments essential. Security teams needed to ensure that all Flash Player installations were updated to versions that addressed this specific information disclosure flaw, while also considering the broader security implications of continuing to support Flash-based applications. The incident underscored the importance of maintaining up-to-date software security patches and implementing robust vulnerability management processes to prevent exploitation of known security flaws. Additionally, organizations should have evaluated their reliance on Flash Player and planned migration strategies to more secure modern web technologies to reduce long-term security risks.