CVE-2016-7863 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 version ranges including 23.0.0.205 and earlier, as well as 11.2.202.643 and earlier. This vulnerability arises from improper memory management where freed memory locations are still accessed by subsequent operations, creating a predictable exploitation vector for malicious actors. The flaw occurs within the player's handling of multimedia content and object management, specifically when processing certain flash objects that trigger memory deallocation followed by reuse. The technical nature of this vulnerability places it firmly within the CWE-416 category of use-after-free conditions, which represents one of the most dangerous classes of memory safety issues in software applications. Attackers can craft malicious flash content that triggers the vulnerable code path, causing the application to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the Flash Player. This exploitation model aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, where adversaries leverage application vulnerabilities to execute malicious code. The impact extends beyond simple code execution to potentially enable full system compromise, as the vulnerability can be exploited through web browsers that embed Flash Player functionality. The vulnerability's exploitability is heightened by the widespread deployment of Flash Player across various operating systems and browsers, making it an attractive target for nation-state actors and cybercriminals seeking to establish persistent access to target systems. Organizations using affected versions face significant risk of data breaches, malware installation, and unauthorized system access, particularly in environments where Flash content is frequently encountered through web browsing or email attachments. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability makes it particularly dangerous as it can lead to privilege escalation, denial of service, and potentially complete system compromise. The exploitation process typically involves crafting malicious SWF files that trigger the use-after-free condition during normal Flash Player operation, allowing attackers to inject and execute shellcode within the browser context. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping multimedia plugins updated and highlights the inherent risks associated with legacy software components that continue to receive security updates. Security researchers have documented numerous real-world exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability, emphasizing the need for immediate remediation and the implementation of additional security controls to protect against similar memory corruption vulnerabilities. The attack surface is broad due to Flash Player's integration with web browsers, making it a prime target for drive-by download attacks and other sophisticated cyber threat campaigns. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected versions, implement browser security policies that restrict Flash content execution, and consider complete removal of Flash Player from systems where it is not absolutely required for business operations. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques that can limit the impact of such exploits even when they are successfully delivered to target systems.