CVE-2014-8440

Vulnerability

Adobe Flash Player's ByteArray::UncompressViaZlibVariant method fails to properly initialize allocated memory, leading to a ByteArray object corruption. This vulnerability affects Flash Player versions before 13.0.0.252, 14.x and 15.x before 15.0.0.223 on Windows and OS X, and before 11.2.202.418 on Linux. Adobe AIR versions before 15.0.0.356 are also affected [1].

Exploitation

An attacker can host a malicious SWF file that triggers the uninitialized memory condition. The exploit requires user interaction, such as visiting a compromised webpage. The Metasploit module for this vulnerability targets Windows 7 SP1 with Internet Explorer 8 or 11 and Flash 15.0.0.189. The attack involves crafting a SWF with a specific memory layout to corrupt a ByteArray object, then leveraging that corruption to read and write arbitrary memory, ultimately executing shellcode [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the user running Flash. This can lead to full system compromise, including installation of malware, data theft, or denial of service [1].

Mitigation

Adobe released updates to address this vulnerability: Flash Player 13.0.0.252, 15.0.0.223, and 11.2.202.418; Adobe AIR 15.0.0.356. Users should update to the latest versions immediately. No workaround is available other than disabling Flash Player or using a browser with enhanced security features [1].