CVE-2019-7100 in Shockwave Player
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Shockwave Player versions 12.3.4.204 and earlier have a memory corruption vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2020
Adobe Shockwave Player contained a critical memory corruption vulnerability that emerged from improper handling of specially crafted multimedia content within the player's runtime environment. This flaw manifested when the application processed malformed data structures that exceeded allocated memory boundaries, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential code execution. The vulnerability stemmed from insufficient input validation and memory management practices within the Shockwave Player's parsing mechanisms, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious payloads that could be executed with the privileges of the affected user. The issue was particularly concerning given Shockwave's widespread deployment across enterprise networks and its integration with various web applications and multimedia content delivery systems. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-787, which addresses out-of-bounds write operations. The operational impact of this vulnerability extended beyond individual system compromise, as it could enable attackers to establish persistent access points within network environments where Shockwave Player remained installed. Attackers leveraging this weakness could potentially execute arbitrary code through crafted web content, making it a significant threat vector for both targeted attacks and mass exploitation campaigns. The vulnerability's exploitation typically required user interaction with malicious content, but given Shockwave's integration with various web browsers and applications, the attack surface was extensive. Organizations deploying Shockwave Player faced substantial risk due to the difficulty of maintaining comprehensive patch management across legacy systems and the challenge of identifying all instances of the vulnerable software within complex network infrastructures. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving execution through malicious content and privilege escalation, with potential for lateral movement once initial compromise was achieved. The memory corruption nature of the flaw meant that exploitation could result in complete system compromise, making it a high-priority target for threat actors seeking persistent access to enterprise environments. Security professionals needed to implement immediate mitigations including disabling Shockwave Player functionality, implementing network-based restrictions, and deploying application whitelisting controls to prevent unauthorized execution of vulnerable components. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date multimedia player software and demonstrated how legacy applications could serve as persistent attack vectors within modern enterprise security postures. Organizations required comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all instances of the vulnerable software and implement appropriate remediation strategies to protect against exploitation attempts targeting this specific memory corruption flaw.