CVE-2017-11281 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player has an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability in the text handling function. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution. This affects 26.0.0.151 and earlier.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2025
Adobe Flash Player contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability within its text handling functionality that presents a significant security risk to affected systems. This vulnerability exists in versions 26.0.0.151 and earlier, where improper memory management during text processing operations creates exploitable conditions that adversaries can leverage for malicious purposes. The flaw specifically manifests in how the player handles text data structures, leading to potential buffer overflows or memory corruption scenarios that could be triggered through malformed input.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common software security weaknesses classified under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. These classifications reflect the fundamental memory safety issues present in the text processing code paths where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to manipulate memory layouts. The vulnerability occurs during text rendering operations when Flash Player processes user-supplied text content, making it particularly dangerous in web environments where arbitrary content can be injected through various vectors.
From an operational perspective, successful exploitation of this vulnerability could result in complete system compromise, as attackers can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Flash Player process. This represents a severe privilege escalation scenario that could enable adversaries to install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access to affected systems. The attack surface is particularly wide since Flash Player was widely deployed across multiple platforms and browsers, making this vulnerability attractive to threat actors seeking broad impact. The vulnerability's exploitation potential is further amplified by the fact that it requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage, making it suitable for drive-by download attacks.
The security implications extend beyond immediate exploitation to include long-term system compromise and data exfiltration capabilities. Organizations running affected Flash Player versions face significant risk of advanced persistent threats targeting their networks through this vector. The vulnerability's presence in widely used software components means that even organizations with robust security measures may be vulnerable if they have not updated their Flash Player installations. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of broader threat modeling exercises, particularly in environments where legacy Flash content remains active. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of Flash Player installations, implementation of network-based restrictions on Flash content, and comprehensive monitoring for signs of exploitation attempts.
Organizations should also consider the broader implications for their security posture, as this vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing risks associated with legacy software components that continue to receive minimal security updates. The attack techniques required for exploitation align with ATT&CK tactics including execution through malicious code injection and privilege escalation. System administrators must prioritize updating Flash Player to versions that contain the necessary memory safety fixes, while also implementing network segmentation and content filtering to prevent unauthorized Flash execution. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and the dangers of running unsupported legacy applications in enterprise environments.