CVE-2016-4283 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-2016-4276, CVE-2016-4280, CVE-2016-4281, CVE-2016-4282, 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 versions prior to 18.0.0.375 on Windows and OS X, and versions 19.x through 23.x before 23.0.0.162 on these platforms, as well as versions before 11.2.202.635 on Linux, contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks. This vulnerability represents a distinct threat vector from other related CVEs published in the same advisory cycle, indicating a complex attack surface within the Flash Player runtime environment. The unspecified attack vectors suggest that the memory corruption could be triggered through various methods including malformed multimedia content, embedded scripts, or crafted web pages that leverage the Flash Player's multimedia processing capabilities.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common software security weaknesses categorized under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. These memory corruption flaws typically arise from insufficient bounds checking in memory management operations, particularly when processing untrusted input data such as multimedia files or network streams. The vulnerability's potential for remote code execution indicates that attackers could manipulate the Flash Player's memory allocation and execution flow through carefully crafted input that bypasses normal security boundaries. This type of vulnerability often maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which involves the use of script-based execution through web browsers, and T1203, which describes exploitation of software vulnerabilities for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the memory corruption could allow attackers to inject malicious code into the Flash Player process and potentially escalate privileges. The affected versions span multiple release channels, suggesting that the vulnerability was present across different Flash Player versions and platforms, making it a widespread concern for organizations relying on Flash-based content. The fact that the vulnerability affects both Windows and OS X platforms indicates that attackers could leverage this weakness across different operating systems, while the Linux-specific version constraint shows targeted exploitation efforts for that platform. This vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risks of rich media processing components within browser environments, where multimedia content processing often requires extensive memory manipulation and complex parsing operations that create numerous potential attack surfaces.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Flash Player versions to mitigate this vulnerability, as the memory corruption could be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious web content, email attachments, or compromised websites. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw means that users could be compromised simply by visiting malicious websites or viewing crafted content, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently access untrusted web content. Security teams should implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider disabling Flash Player functionality in browsers where possible, particularly for users who do not require Flash-based content. The vulnerability's relationship to other CVEs in the same advisory cycle suggests that Adobe's security team identified multiple distinct memory corruption issues within the Flash Player runtime, indicating that the overall security posture of the Flash Player required comprehensive remediation efforts. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as sandboxing mechanisms and browser security policies to limit the potential impact of similar vulnerabilities in the future.