CVE-2018-5000 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player versions 29.0.0.171 and earlier have an Integer Overflow vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2020
Adobe Flash Player Integer Overflow vulnerability CVE-2018-5000 represents a critical security flaw that affects versions 29.0.0.171 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the player's handling of integer values during memory allocation operations, creating a condition where arithmetic overflow can occur when processing certain data structures. The flaw manifests when the application attempts to calculate memory requirements for buffer operations, leading to incorrect memory sizing that can result in memory corruption. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-190 as an Integer Overflow or Wraparound, specifically occurring in the context of memory management operations. Attackers can exploit this issue by crafting malicious Flash content that triggers the overflow condition, potentially causing the application to allocate insufficient memory for data structures, which may lead to memory corruption and subsequent information disclosure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as integer overflows in media players often provide attackers with opportunities for more severe exploits. When the integer overflow occurs during buffer size calculations, it can cause the Flash Player to allocate memory in unexpected ways, potentially leading to memory layout corruption that attackers might leverage for code execution or privilege escalation. The vulnerability's exploitation requires a user to interact with malicious Flash content, typically through web browsers or other applications that embed the Flash Player component. This makes the attack surface particularly wide, as Flash Player is widely distributed across various platforms and applications, including web browsers, desktop applications, and content management systems. The flaw can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Visual Basic and T1059.006 for PowerShell, as attackers often use scripting languages to create malicious Flash content that exploits such memory handling vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-5000 require immediate action to prevent exploitation, including updating to Adobe Flash Player version 29.0.113.64 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the integer overflow condition. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as content filtering and web application firewalls to block malicious Flash content before it reaches end users. The patch addresses the root cause by implementing proper bounds checking and integer validation before memory allocation operations, preventing the overflow condition from occurring. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify systems running vulnerable Flash Player versions and ensure all endpoints are properly updated. Additionally, implementing sandboxing measures and restricting Flash Player functionality through browser security policies can provide additional defense-in-depth layers. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper integer handling in memory management operations and serves as a reminder of the critical security implications that arise from inadequate input validation in multimedia processing components. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management systems to ensure timely deployment of security updates and prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.