CVE-2017-11294 in Shockwave
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Adobe Shockwave 12.2.9.199 and earlier. An exploitable memory corruption vulnerability exists. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2021
Adobe Shockwave player versions 12.2.9.199 and earlier contain a critical memory corruption vulnerability that presents significant security risks to affected systems. This vulnerability resides within the Shockwave player's handling of specially crafted multimedia content, specifically when processing certain file formats that trigger memory allocation and manipulation routines. The flaw manifests during the parsing of malformed or maliciously constructed Shockwave files, where the application fails to properly validate input data before processing. This inadequate validation allows attackers to manipulate memory structures through crafted payloads that can overwrite critical memory locations. The vulnerability's exploitable nature stems from insufficient bounds checking and memory management practices within the Shockwave runtime environment, creating opportunities for attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected user. The memory corruption occurs when the player attempts to parse and render multimedia content that contains malformed data structures, leading to unpredictable behavior including buffer overflows, heap corruption, or stack corruption scenarios.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows established patterns for memory corruption attacks and aligns with common attack techniques documented in the attack mitigation framework. The flaw can be categorized under CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities. Attackers can leverage this weakness to craft malicious Shockwave content that, when opened by an unpatched victim, triggers the memory corruption and allows for remote code execution. The attack surface includes web browsers, desktop applications, and any environment where Shockwave content is rendered. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code execution as it can enable privilege escalation scenarios and persistent access to compromised systems. Security researchers have identified that the exploit requires minimal user interaction, typically limited to visiting a malicious website or opening a compromised file, making it particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios. The vulnerability's presence in widely deployed software components increases the potential attack surface significantly.
Organizations and users affected by this vulnerability face substantial operational risks that extend beyond immediate exploitation concerns. The memory corruption vulnerability can lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to install malware, establish persistent backdoors, or exfiltrate sensitive data from compromised systems. The attack vectors for this vulnerability include drive-by downloads, malicious email attachments, and compromised websites that serve malicious Shockwave content. Network security teams must consider this vulnerability when assessing their attack surface and implementing defensive measures, particularly in environments where Shockwave content is regularly accessed. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions indicates a fundamental flaw in the Shockwave player's architecture that requires immediate attention. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring and detection capabilities to identify potential exploitation attempts and ensure rapid incident response procedures are in place. The vulnerability's impact on enterprise environments is amplified by the widespread deployment of Shockwave players across various business applications and legacy systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security posture improvements. The most effective immediate action involves upgrading to Adobe Shockwave player version 12.3.0.0 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the memory corruption vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network-based controls to block access to known malicious domains and content that may contain exploit payloads. Security configurations should include disabling Shockwave content in web browsers and restricting execution of Shockwave files in enterprise environments where the technology is not essential for business operations. Endpoint protection solutions should be configured to monitor for suspicious memory access patterns and anomalous behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for outdated Shockwave installations to prevent exploitation through this and similar vulnerabilities. System administrators should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of Shockwave player components unless explicitly authorized. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patched systems to ensure that the vulnerability has been properly addressed without introducing compatibility issues with existing Shockwave content. Additionally, security awareness training should emphasize the risks associated with opening untrusted Shockwave files and visiting compromised websites that may host malicious content.