CVE-2018-5008 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Flash Player 30.0.0.113 and earlier versions have an Out-of-bounds read vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2023
Adobe Flash Player contains a critical out-of-bounds read vulnerability that affects versions 30.0.0.113 and earlier. This flaw resides in the player's handling of malformed data structures during processing, specifically within the memory management subsystem where insufficient bounds checking occurs. The vulnerability manifests when the Flash Player attempts to read data from memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive information stored in adjacent memory regions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the player's ActionScript virtual machine failing to properly validate array indices and memory access patterns during object manipulation. When processing maliciously crafted flash content, the player's internal code executes operations that traverse memory locations without adequate boundary validation, creating opportunities for attackers to extract unintended data from memory. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-129 weakness category, which specifically addresses insufficient bounds checking in input validation scenarios.
From an operational perspective, successful exploitation of CVE-2018-5008 could result in information disclosure that exposes sensitive data including cryptographic keys, user credentials, or system memory contents. Attackers typically leverage this vulnerability through drive-by download scenarios where malicious flash content is delivered through compromised websites or email attachments. The impact extends beyond simple data leakage as the disclosed information could potentially be used for further exploitation attempts, including privilege escalation or lateral movement within targeted networks.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability through patch management processes, as Adobe has released updated versions of Flash Player that address the out-of-bounds read condition. The mitigation strategy should include disabling Flash Player in web browsers where possible, implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts, and conducting thorough security assessments of systems that may still be running vulnerable versions. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where persistent access is desired. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted flash content and ensure comprehensive monitoring for suspicious memory access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.