CVE-2017-2928 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player versions 24.0.0.186 and earlier have an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability related to setting visual mode effects. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2025
Adobe Flash Player contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability in versions 24.0.0.186 and earlier that arose from improper handling of visual mode effects within the player's rendering pipeline. This flaw manifested when the software processed certain visual effects parameters, leading to unpredictable memory access patterns that could be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically affected the player's ability to manage memory allocation and deallocation during visual effect processing, creating potential for buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions that could be leveraged for remote code execution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involved the Flash Player's ActionScript runtime environment interacting with native code components responsible for rendering visual effects such as filters, masks, and other graphical transformations. When malformed or specially crafted visual effect parameters were processed, the memory management functions failed to properly validate input boundaries or maintain proper memory state during effect application. This resulted in memory corruption that could be manipulated to overwrite critical program structures or execute arbitrary code within the context of the Flash Player process. The flaw represented a classic memory safety issue that aligns with common CWE categories including CWE-121 for stack-based buffer overflow and CWE-122 for heap-based buffer overflow.
From an operational perspective, successful exploitation of this vulnerability enabled attackers to achieve remote code execution on systems running vulnerable Flash Player versions, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Flash content was commonly used. The attack surface extended across multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems that supported Flash Player. Security researchers noted that exploitation typically required a web-based attack vector where users would visit malicious websites containing specially crafted Flash content designed to trigger the memory corruption. The vulnerability's impact was amplified by the widespread adoption of Flash Player across various applications and websites, creating numerous potential entry points for attackers.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-2928 centered around immediate patch deployment and application of Adobe's security updates. Organizations were advised to disable Flash Player entirely where possible, as the vulnerability was particularly severe and the risk of exploitation remained high even after patches were applied. Security teams implemented browser security measures including content security policies and sandboxing configurations to limit the potential impact of any remaining vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorized this vulnerability under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, emphasizing the need for layered defensive measures including network segmentation and user access controls. Additionally, the vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing automated patch management systems to prevent similar issues in the future, as Flash Player had numerous other known vulnerabilities that were exploited in the wild during this period.