CVE-2017-3000 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE • 01/25/2023
Adobe Flash Player versions 24.0.0.221 and earlier have a vulnerability in the random number generator used for constant blinding. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2024
Adobe Flash Player contained a critical cryptographic vulnerability in its random number generator implementation that affected versions 24.0.0.221 and earlier. This flaw specifically impacted the constant blinding mechanism used in cryptographic operations, creating a predictable pattern in the random number generation process. The vulnerability stems from insufficient entropy and poor seeding of the random number generator, which allowed attackers to potentially reconstruct the internal state of the generator and predict future outputs. This weakness directly violates the fundamental principles of cryptographic security where randomness must be truly unpredictable to maintain confidentiality and integrity of encrypted communications.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through sophisticated analysis of the predictable random number sequences generated by the flawed implementation. Attackers could potentially reconstruct the internal state of the random number generator by observing a sufficient number of generated values, which would then allow them to predict future random numbers used in cryptographic operations. This predictable behavior compromises the security of encryption algorithms and authentication mechanisms that rely on these random values for constant blinding operations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-330, which specifically addresses the use of insufficiently random values in cryptographic contexts, and represents a critical failure in the implementation of cryptographic primitives that should maintain unpredictability at all times.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential compromise of encrypted communications, authentication systems, and any cryptographic operations that depend on the random number generator. When attackers can predict the random values used in constant blinding, they gain the ability to potentially decrypt communications, forge authentication tokens, or bypass security measures that rely on cryptographic randomness. This vulnerability creates a significant risk for organizations using Flash Player for web-based applications, as it could enable man-in-the-middle attacks, session hijacking, and unauthorized access to sensitive data. The attack surface is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where Flash Player was widely deployed for business-critical applications and web services.
Organizations should immediately disable Flash Player on all systems and remove it from web browsers to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. Security teams should implement comprehensive monitoring for any signs of exploitation attempts and conduct thorough assessments of web applications that may have relied on Flash Player functionality. The recommended mitigation strategy includes deploying network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious traffic patterns associated with random number prediction attacks, while also ensuring that all endpoints are updated to remove Flash Player entirely. Additionally, organizations should review their web application security policies to eliminate dependencies on Flash Player and transition to modern, secure web technologies that do not suffer from similar cryptographic implementation flaws. This vulnerability serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation and the dangers of relying on insecure random number generation in security-sensitive applications.