CVE-2014-0520

Vulnerability

This vulnerability affects Adobe Flash Player versions before 13.0.0.214 on Windows and OS X, and before 11.2.202.359 on Linux, as well as Adobe AIR SDK and SDK & Compiler versions before 13.0.0.111. The flaw allows attackers to bypass intended access restrictions via unspecified vectors. [1][2]

Exploitation

Exploitation requires an attacker to serve a crafted Flash (SWF) file to a victim. The attack can be delivered through web pages, email attachments, or other means that trigger the Flash Player. The exact sequence of steps is not disclosed in the available references, but the vulnerability is described as allowing bypass of access restrictions without needing authentication or special privileges. [1][2]

Impact

Successful exploitation enables an attacker to bypass security restrictions that are normally enforced by the Flash Player sandbox or cross-domain policies. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, such as reading files or communicating with domains that would otherwise be restricted, potentially leading to further compromise. [1][2]

Mitigation

Adobe released updates to fix this vulnerability: Flash Player 13.0.0.214 (Windows/OS X) and 11.2.202.359 (Linux), and AIR SDK 13.0.0.111. Users should upgrade to these versions. Red Hat has released updates via RHSA-2014:0496 for RHEL 5 and 6. Gentoo recommends upgrading to the patched version. There are no known workarounds other than updating. [1][2]