CVE-2016-7874 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player versions 23.0.0.207 and earlier, 11.2.202.644 and earlier have an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability in the NetConnection class when handling the proxy types. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2022
Adobe Flash Player contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability in the NetConnection class that affects versions 23.0.0.207 and earlier, as well as 11.2.202.644 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically manifests when processing proxy types within the NetConnection class, creating a dangerous condition that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The flaw represents a classic buffer overflow scenario where improper input validation leads to memory corruption that can be exploited through crafted malicious content delivered via web browsers or other Flash-enabled applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking and memory management within the proxy type handling mechanisms of the NetConnection class. When Flash Player processes network connection requests with specific proxy configurations, the application fails to properly validate the length and structure of incoming data, allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. This memory corruption can be leveraged to redirect execution flow and inject malicious code into the running Flash Player process. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios that can occur during dynamic memory allocation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within compromised systems. Successful exploitation enables attackers to bypass standard security controls and execute malicious payloads with the privileges of the Flash Player process, which typically runs with user-level permissions but can potentially escalate to higher privileges depending on system configurations. This vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild, making it a significant concern for organizations running older versions of Flash Player. The attack surface is particularly broad since Flash Player was widely deployed across enterprise environments and consumer systems, creating numerous potential entry points for threat actors.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate patching of affected Flash Player versions to mitigate this vulnerability, as no reliable workarounds exist for the underlying memory corruption issue. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect attempts to access Flash Player content and consider disabling Flash Player entirely in enterprise environments where it is not absolutely required for business operations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and highlights the risks associated with legacy software that continues to receive limited security support. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, representing both execution and privilege escalation attack vectors that threat actors commonly utilize in advanced persistent threat campaigns.