CVE-2016-6982 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.382 and 19.x through 23.x before 23.0.0.185 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.637 on Linux allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-4273, CVE-2016-6983, CVE-2016-6984, CVE-2016-6985, CVE-2016-6986, CVE-2016-6989, and CVE-2016-6990.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2022
Adobe Flash Player versions prior to 18.0.0.382 and 19.x through 23.x before 23.0.0.185 on Windows and OS X platforms, along with versions before 11.2.202.637 on Linux systems, contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enabled remote code execution and denial of service attacks. This vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw from other related CVEs published in the same timeframe, indicating a separate code path or implementation issue within the Flash Player runtime environment. The unspecified vectors through which attackers could exploit this vulnerability typically involved crafted malicious content delivered through web browsers or other applications that utilized Flash Player components. The memory corruption aspect suggests that attackers could manipulate memory structures within the Flash Player process, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the compromised user. This vulnerability exploited fundamental memory management mechanisms within the Flash Player runtime, where improper input validation or buffer handling could result in memory corruption that adversaries could leverage to inject and execute malicious code. The impact extends beyond simple exploitation as the vulnerability could also enable denial of service conditions where legitimate users might experience application crashes or system instability. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and potentially CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this under initial access through malicious web content and execution via memory corruption techniques. The vulnerability's exploitation typically required a user to visit a malicious website or open a specially crafted Flash file, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or compromised websites. Security researchers identified that the memory corruption occurred during the processing of specific Flash content, where malformed data structures or improper boundary checks led to memory corruption that could be leveraged for privilege escalation. The affected versions represent a broad range of Flash Player releases, highlighting the widespread nature of the vulnerability across multiple product lines and operating systems. Organizations running these vulnerable versions faced significant risk as the attack surface included web browsers, email clients, and other applications that integrated Flash Player components. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple major versions indicates a fundamental flaw in the Flash Player memory management system that required comprehensive patching rather than simple code fixes. Network security teams needed to implement immediate mitigation strategies including browser plugin blocking, network-based filtering, and user education to prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's severity classification as critical reflects its potential for remote code execution and the difficulty in defending against such attacks due to the widespread use of Flash Player across enterprise environments. The exploitation techniques required advanced knowledge of memory corruption methods and Flash Player internals, suggesting that the attack vector was primarily targeted at specific user populations rather than broad automated exploitation campaigns. System administrators needed to prioritize patching of all affected Flash Player installations while monitoring for signs of exploitation attempts in their network traffic and system logs. The vulnerability's impact on both Windows and OS X platforms, along with Linux versions, demonstrated the cross-platform nature of the Flash Player security issues and the complexity of maintaining secure Flash Player deployments across heterogeneous environments. Organizations implementing security controls had to consider the broader implications of Flash Player vulnerabilities, as this particular flaw represented just one of several memory corruption issues affecting the Flash Player runtime environment. The vulnerability's remediation required complete Flash Player version updates, as partial fixes were insufficient to address the underlying memory corruption mechanisms that allowed for arbitrary code execution.
The technical nature of this vulnerability demonstrates how complex software components like Flash Player can contain memory management flaws that create significant security risks. The fact that this vulnerability was distinct from other CVEs from the same period suggests that Adobe's Flash Player contained multiple independent memory corruption issues that required separate remediation efforts. The exploitation of such vulnerabilities typically involved advanced persistent threat actors who could craft specific malicious content to trigger the memory corruption conditions, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios. Organizations needed to understand that Flash Player's memory handling was a critical security component that required regular updates and monitoring to prevent successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's presence across multiple operating systems and Flash Player versions indicated that the underlying issue was systemic rather than isolated to specific platforms or release cycles. Security professionals had to recognize that the Flash Player runtime environment represented a significant attack surface that required comprehensive security management approaches including patch management, network monitoring, and user awareness training. The remediation process for this vulnerability highlighted the challenges of maintaining Flash Player security in enterprise environments where legacy applications might depend on older Flash Player versions. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue emphasized the need for robust input validation and memory management practices within Flash Player's codebase, particularly in areas handling user-supplied content and data processing.