CVE-2017-3076 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player versions 25.0.0.171 and earlier have an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability in the MPEG-4 AVC module. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2025
Adobe Flash Player contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability within its MPEG-4 AVC module that affects versions 25.0.0.171 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of malformed video data during the decoding process, creating a condition where attacker-controlled input can overwrite memory regions beyond intended boundaries. The flaw manifests when the player processes specially crafted MPEG-4 video streams that contain malformed AVC (Advanced Video Coding) data structures, leading to unpredictable memory corruption patterns that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code within the context of the Flash Player application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a classic buffer overflow scenario within the video decoding pipeline where insufficient bounds checking occurs during the parsing of video frame headers and slice data. When Flash Player encounters malformed AVC data structures, the decoder fails to properly validate the size parameters of video data segments, allowing attackers to craft malicious video content that triggers memory corruption. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios that can occur during dynamic memory allocation processes. The vulnerability represents a significant risk as it operates at the core decoding layer where multimedia content is processed, making it particularly dangerous for web-based exploitation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe attack surface for adversaries seeking to compromise systems running vulnerable Flash Player versions. The exploitability of this flaw means that merely visiting a malicious website containing crafted video content could result in full system compromise without user interaction beyond normal browsing behavior. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious code with the privileges of the Flash Player process, which typically runs with the same permissions as the user, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code execution as it can be used to establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or deploy additional malware payloads within the compromised environment.
Security practitioners should prioritize immediate remediation through patch management to address this vulnerability, as Adobe has released security updates to correct the memory corruption issue in affected versions. Organizations should implement network-based mitigations such as content filtering and web application firewalls to block access to known malicious domains that may host exploit content. Additionally, implementing strict browser security policies including disabling Flash Player execution in web browsers, using sandboxing technologies, and maintaining comprehensive network monitoring can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping multimedia processing components updated and highlights the need for robust input validation and memory safety practices in media decoding libraries, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter execution and T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation through application-specific vulnerabilities.