External risk intelligence

Adobe Flash Player Code Execution Vulnerability.

CVE advisoryKnown Exploit

CVE-2015-5122

A vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player could permit attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial-of-service by exploiting memory corruption. This impacts organizations using affected versions, posing a risk to system integrity and data. The vulnerability has been observed in the wild.

1Halo Surface Signal

Use After Free

Adobe Flash Player

13.0 to 13.0.0.30218.0 to 18.0.0.20318.0 to 18.0.0.20411.0 to 11.2.202.4815.06.06.611.41112

External exposure likelihood

Halo Surface Signal score for CVE-2015-5122

This vulnerability affects Adobe Flash Player, a client-side browser plugin. It is not a network service, gateway, or internet-facing appliance. Exploitation requires a user to navigate to a malicious resource via their client browser, making it a client-side application rather than a server-side reachable surface.

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player's ActionScript 3 implementation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial-of-service conditions. This flaw stems from improper handling of the opaqueBackground property within the DisplayObject class. The potential impact includes unauthorized code execution and system instability, affecting organizations that utilize the vulnerable Flash Player versions.

  • Vulnerable component: Adobe Flash Player
  • Core weakness: Improper handling of opaqueBackground property
  • Main business impact: Arbitrary code execution, denial of service

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

This vulnerability arises from the improper handling of the opaqueBackground property within Adobe Flash Player. Crafted Flash content can exploit this flaw, leading to memory corruption. Attackers can leverage this to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service, potentially impacting system integrity and availability.

  • Malicious Flash content is delivered.
  • Attacker triggers memory corruption.
  • Arbitrary code execution or DoS occurs.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

The identified vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player could enable remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial-of-service conditions. This could occur by tricking users into interacting with specially crafted Flash content. The potential for memory corruption presents a significant risk to affected systems and the data they hold. Given that this vulnerability has been observed in the wild, it warrants careful consideration.

  • Attackers with moderate skill.
  • Requires user interaction with malicious content.
  • Significant business risk.

Priority actions

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

This vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service by exploiting a use-after-free flaw. The issue stems from improper handling of the opaqueBackground property, which can be triggered by crafted Flash content. Organizations should prioritize addressing this vulnerability, as it has been observed in the wild.

  • Identify all systems using Adobe Flash Player.
  • Isolate or disable Flash Player where possible.
  • Apply vendor updates and monitor for related activity.

Frequently asked questions

What is Adobe Flash Player and its role in web content?

Adobe Flash Player was a software application that enabled the display of multimedia content, including animations, games, and interactive applications, directly within web browsers. It was widely used to deliver rich online experiences before its discontinuation.

What type of weakness is CVE-2015-5122?

CVE-2015-5122 is a use-after-free vulnerability. This occurs when software attempts to access memory after it has been released, potentially leading to memory corruption and enabling arbitrary code execution.

How can CVE-2015-5122 be triggered?

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by presenting crafted Flash content that leverages improper handling of the opaqueBackground property in the ActionScript 3 implementation of Adobe Flash Player, leading to memory corruption.

What is the relevance of CVE-2015-5122 in the current threat landscape?

CVE-2015-5122 was actively exploited in the wild shortly after its discovery and is listed on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. However, Adobe Flash Player is end-of-life, meaning it is no longer supported and should be disconnected if still in use.

What steps should be taken to address the risks associated with CVE-2015-5122?

The most effective remediation is to ensure Adobe Flash Player is uninstalled or disabled across all systems. Given that the product is end-of-life, continued use poses a significant risk that should be eliminated by discontinuing its utilization.

References

Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI)

Sources: malpedia