CVE-2016-7857 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player versions 23.0.0.205 and earlier, 11.2.202.643 and earlier have an exploitable use-after-free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2022
Adobe Flash Player contains a critical use-after-free vulnerability that affects multiple versions including 23.0.0.205 and earlier, as well as 11.2.202.643 and earlier releases. This vulnerability stems from improper memory management where freed memory blocks are still being referenced by pointers, creating opportunities for attackers to execute malicious code. The flaw occurs when the Flash Player processes certain multimedia content that triggers a specific memory deallocation sequence followed by subsequent access to the same memory location. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions where software continues to reference memory after it has been freed. The attack vector typically involves crafting malicious Flash content that when loaded by the vulnerable Flash Player, causes the application to free memory associated with an object and then continue to access that same memory location, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate the program flow. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution as it enables attackers to bypass security mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to systems. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands on compromised systems. The widespread adoption of Flash Player across various platforms made this vulnerability particularly dangerous, as it could be exploited across multiple operating systems including windows, macos, and linux. The vulnerability demonstrates how legacy multimedia frameworks can contain critical security flaws that remain exploitable for years after initial discovery, highlighting the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and the risks associated with deprecated technologies. Organizations that continued to support Flash-based applications faced significant exposure to this vulnerability, as it required immediate patching or complete removal of Flash functionality to mitigate the risk. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability also relates to broader security principles involving heap management and memory safety, making it a prime example of how low-level programming errors can translate into high-impact security breaches. This particular vulnerability was widely exploited in the wild, with security researchers documenting numerous attack campaigns that leveraged the flaw to deliver malware payloads. The remediation approach required users to update to patched versions of Flash Player, but given the end-of-life status of Flash Player by adobe and major browser vendors, long-term mitigation involved complete removal of Flash support from systems and applications. The vulnerability also underscores the challenges of maintaining security in complex multimedia frameworks where memory management errors can have severe consequences, particularly when such frameworks are integrated into web browsers and operating systems.