CVE-2018-15967 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player versions 30.0.0.154 and earlier have a privilege escalation vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2020
Adobe Flash Player contains a privilege escalation vulnerability in versions 30.0.0.154 and earlier that allows attackers to gain elevated system privileges through improper access control mechanisms. This vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user permissions within the Flash Player runtime environment, creating a path for malicious actors to bypass security restrictions that should prevent unauthorized access to system resources. The flaw exists in how the player handles privilege levels when processing certain multimedia content, particularly when executing code that interacts with local system components.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a failure in the privilege separation model that Flash Player employs to isolate user-space operations from system-level functions. When processing maliciously crafted content, the player fails to properly enforce the boundaries between restricted user mode operations and privileged system calls. This misconfiguration allows an attacker to escalate their execution context from a standard user process to a higher privilege level, potentially gaining access to sensitive system information or resources that should remain protected.
From an operational impact perspective, successful exploitation of this vulnerability could result in unauthorized information disclosure, where attackers gain access to confidential data stored on the victim's system. The privilege escalation capability means that attackers could potentially access system files, user credentials, or other sensitive information that would normally be protected by the operating system's security model. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to enterprise environments where Flash Player remains installed, as it could enable attackers to move laterally within networks or establish persistent access to critical systems.
Security researchers have classified this vulnerability under the CWE-276 Common Weakness Enumeration category, specifically addressing improper privilege management and inadequate access control mechanisms. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers "Local Privilege Escalation" and demonstrates how weaknesses in application security can be exploited to gain elevated system access. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through patching Adobe Flash Player to versions 30.0.0.155 or later, as Adobe has released security updates addressing this specific flaw. Additionally, implementing network segmentation, disabling Flash Player in browsers, and maintaining strict access controls can help mitigate the risk of exploitation in environments where complete removal is not immediately feasible. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper privilege management in multimedia frameworks and highlights the need for continuous security assessment of runtime environments that handle untrusted content.