CVE-2015-5553

Vulnerability

A memory corruption vulnerability exists in Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.232 on Windows and OS X, and before 11.2.202.508 on Linux. The affected products include Adobe AIR before 18.0.0.199, Adobe AIR SDK before 18.0.0.199, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 18.0.0.199. The vulnerability is triggered via unspecified vectors and is distinct from several other Flash Player CVEs addressed in the same update [1][2].

Exploitation

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by enticing a user to open a specially crafted Flash file (SWF), typically via a web page or email attachment. No authentication is required; the attack can be conducted remotely. The exact exploitation steps are not publicly detailed but rely on the memory corruption condition to achieve code execution [1][2].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected system, potentially gaining the same privileges as the user running Flash. This could lead to full system compromise, including data theft, installation of malware, or denial of service. The vulnerability is considered critical with a CVSS base score of 9.3 [1][2].

Mitigation

Adobe released fixed versions on August 11, 2015: Flash Player 18.0.0.232 (Windows/OS X) and 11.2.202.508 (Linux). For AIR, version 18.0.0.199 addresses the issue. Users should update immediately. The Gentoo security advisory also recommends upgrading to the patched version [1][2]. No workarounds are available; upgrading is the only mitigation.