CVE-2017-2990 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player versions 24.0.0.194 and earlier have an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability in the h264 decompression routine. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/14/2020
Adobe Flash Player contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability in its h264 video decompression component that affected versions 24.0.0.194 and earlier. This flaw resides within the multimedia processing functionality that handles h264 video decoding, representing a sophisticated attack vector that leverages the complex nature of video compression algorithms. The vulnerability manifests during the decompression process when malformed h264 video data is processed, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The technical implementation of h264 decoding involves complex memory management operations including buffer allocation, data parsing, and memory pointer manipulation that create potential overflow and underflow conditions. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios that commonly occur in multimedia processing components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to encompass full system compromise capabilities. Attackers can craft malicious h264 video content that, when played through vulnerable Flash Player installations, triggers the memory corruption flaw. This creates a persistent threat vector since Flash Player was widely deployed across enterprise and consumer environments, making the attack surface extensive. The exploitation process typically involves crafting specially formatted video streams that cause memory corruption during decompression, potentially leading to privilege escalation and complete system control. The vulnerability's presence in multimedia processing components makes it particularly dangerous as users frequently interact with video content through web browsers, email clients, and media players that utilize Flash Player as a backend component.
Security researchers have documented this vulnerability through multiple attack patterns that demonstrate how memory corruption in video decompression routines can be leveraged for privilege escalation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1059, which involves command and script interpreters, and T1068, which covers exploit for privilege escalation. Organizations that had not updated their Flash Player installations were particularly vulnerable since the vulnerability existed in widely deployed software versions. The attack chain typically involves initial access through malicious web content or email attachments containing crafted h264 video files, followed by exploitation of the memory corruption to gain code execution privileges. Network security teams needed to implement comprehensive monitoring for suspicious video content delivery and ensure immediate patch deployment to prevent exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-2990 required immediate patching of Flash Player installations, along with network-level controls to block malicious video content. Organizations should have implemented application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted Flash content and deployed network segmentation to limit lateral movement if exploitation occurred. The remediation process included not only updating to patched versions of Flash Player but also decommissioning Flash Player entirely since Adobe discontinued support for the platform. Security controls should have encompassed regular vulnerability scanning to identify remaining vulnerable installations and implemented endpoint detection systems capable of identifying exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date multimedia processing components and the risks associated with legacy software that continues to receive limited security updates. Organizations needed to establish robust patch management processes and maintain awareness of end-of-life software that poses ongoing security risks.