CVE-2017-2991 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 codec (related to decompression). 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 codec implementation that affected versions 24.0.0.194 and earlier. This flaw resides within the decompression logic of the h264 video decoder, where improper handling of malformed video data could trigger unauthorized memory access patterns. The vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking and memory management during the decoding process, allowing attackers to craft specially crafted h264 video content that would cause the player to overwrite memory locations beyond allocated buffers. Such memory corruption could be leveraged to execute arbitrary code within the context of the Flash Player application, potentially enabling full system compromise. The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read errors. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations as it could be exploited through web browsers or other applications that utilize Flash Player for multimedia content delivery. Attackers could deliver malicious video content through compromised websites, email attachments, or other delivery mechanisms, making this a prevalent attack vector for remote code execution exploits. The impact extends beyond individual user systems to enterprise environments where Flash Player remains installed, potentially providing attackers with persistent access to network resources. This vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risks associated with multimedia codec implementations in software applications, as these components often handle complex data structures and require extensive memory management. The exploitation techniques typically involve crafting specific h264 video streams that trigger the memory corruption during decompression, often requiring precise control over memory layout and execution flow. Organizations should consider this vulnerability in their threat modeling exercises, particularly when evaluating legacy systems that continue to support Flash content. The remediation strategy involves immediate patching of Flash Player installations to versions that address the memory corruption in the h264 codec, while also implementing network-level controls to block known malicious Flash content. Security professionals should reference ATT&CK technique T1203 for the exploitation of this vulnerability through malicious web content, and T1059 for potential command execution once the initial compromise occurs. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security updates and the need for organizations to maintain inventory control over legacy software components that may present ongoing security risks. This particular flaw underscores the broader challenge of securing multimedia processing components within applications, as they often require complex processing logic that increases the attack surface for memory corruption vulnerabilities.