CVE-2016-6922 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-2016-4283, CVE-2016-4284, CVE-2016-4285, 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 the same 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 flaw from several other related vulnerabilities in the same year, specifically excluding CVE-2016-4274 through CVE-2016-4285 and CVE-2016-6924. The unspecified attack vectors involved memory corruption mechanisms that could be exploited by remote attackers to gain arbitrary code execution privileges on affected systems. The vulnerability stemmed from improper memory handling within the Flash Player runtime environment, creating potential for heap-based buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions that attackers could manipulate through crafted malicious content delivered via web browsers. The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common software security weaknesses classified under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-476, which covers null pointer dereference scenarios. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability posed significant risk to enterprise environments since Flash Player was widely deployed across organizations and frequently used to deliver multimedia content, making it a prime target for exploitation. Attackers could leverage this flaw by delivering malicious Flash content through compromised websites, email attachments, or other delivery mechanisms that would trigger the memory corruption when the content was rendered by the vulnerable Flash Player component. The impact extended beyond simple code execution to include potential system compromise and privilege escalation depending on the target environment. Organizations running affected versions of Flash Player faced substantial risk of lateral movement within networks, as attackers could use this vulnerability to establish persistent access points. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would likely map to techniques such as T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. The recommended mitigation strategy centered on immediate patching of all affected Flash Player installations to versions 18.0.0.375 or later for Windows and OS X platforms, and 23.0.0.162 or later for the same platforms, while Linux users needed to update to version 11.2.202.635 or higher. Security administrators should also implement network-based controls such as web application firewalls and content filtering to block Flash content where possible, though complete removal of Flash support was the most effective long-term solution. The vulnerability highlighted the broader challenges of maintaining legacy software components and the importance of timely patch management in enterprise security operations, particularly given Flash Player's extensive deployment across both corporate and consumer environments.