CVE-2015-7637

Vulnerability

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in Adobe Flash Player affecting versions before 18.0.0.252 and 19.x before 19.0.0.207 on Windows and OS X, before 11.2.202.535 on Linux, as well as Adobe AIR, AIR SDK, and AIR SDK & Compiler before 19.0.0.213. The flaw is triggered when the Flash Player processes a specially crafted SWF file, leading to a use-after-free condition that can be exploited for arbitrary code execution. [2]

Exploitation

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by convincing a user to load a malicious SWF file, typically via a web page or email attachment. No authentication is required; the attacker only needs to deliver the crafted SWF content to the victim's browser or application that uses Flash Player. The use-after-free occurs during the processing of the SWF file's actions or rendering, allowing the attacker to control the freed memory. [2]

Impact

Successful exploitation grants the attacker the ability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the Flash Player. This can lead to full system compromise, including the installation of malware, data theft, or further propagation. Additionally, the vulnerability may also be used to cause a denial of service (crash) or disclose sensitive information. The severity is rated as Critical by Adobe and Red Hat. [2]

Mitigation

Adobe released fixed versions: Flash Player 18.0.0.252 and 19.0.0.207 for Windows/OS X, 11.2.202.535 for Linux, and AIR 19.0.0.213. Red Hat provided an updated flash-plugin package to version 11.2.202.548 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Supplementary. Users should update to these versions immediately. [1][2]