CVE-2016-6931 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in 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 via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-4272, CVE-2016-4279, CVE-2016-6921, CVE-2016-6923, CVE-2016-6925, CVE-2016-6926, CVE-2016-6927, CVE-2016-6929, CVE-2016-6930, and CVE-2016-6932.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/02/2024
The CVE-2016-6931 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player that affected multiple versions across different operating systems. This vulnerability specifically impacted Flash Player versions before 18.0.0.375 and 19.x through 23.x before 23.0.0.162 on Windows and OS X platforms, as well as versions before 11.2.202.635 on Linux systems. The flaw stems from improper memory management where the software attempts to access memory locations that have already been freed, creating a potential exploitation vector for malicious actors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the CWE-416 category of "Use After Free" conditions, which occur when a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed by the system. This particular implementation flaw in Flash Player's memory management system creates a scenario where attackers can manipulate the application's behavior by controlling the freed memory space. The unspecified attack vectors mentioned in the description indicate that the vulnerability could be triggered through various means including malformed web content, malicious files, or compromised websites that leverage Flash Player's runtime environment.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to enterprise environments and individual users alike, as it allows for arbitrary code execution without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website or opening a compromised file. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as attackers can leverage this flaw to install malware, establish persistent backdoors, or perform complete system compromise. The vulnerability's presence across multiple Flash Player versions and operating systems creates widespread exposure, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with legacy systems still running older Flash Player versions.
The attack surface for CVE-2016-6931 aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage, T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, and T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation. Organizations utilizing Flash Player in their environments faced immediate risk as the vulnerability could be exploited through drive-by downloads, malicious advertisements, or compromised web applications that leveraged the Flash runtime. The exploitation process typically involves crafting malicious content that triggers the use-after-free condition, allowing attackers to execute shellcode in the context of the Flash Player process.
Effective mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected Flash Player installations across all supported platforms. Adobe released security updates addressing this flaw in versions 18.0.0.375, 23.0.0.162, and 11.2.202.635 respectively for Windows, OS X, and Linux systems. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit Flash Player usage, deploy application whitelisting policies, and consider disabling Flash Player entirely in enterprise environments. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software patches and implementing comprehensive vulnerability management programs to prevent exploitation of known security flaws. Additionally, security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual Flash Player behavior and memory access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.