CVE-2015-7648

Vulnerability

CVE-2015-7648 is a type confusion vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player affecting versions before 18.0.0.255 and 19.x before 19.0.0.226 on Windows and OS X, and before 11.2.202.540 on Linux [1][2]. The flaw resides in the Flash Player's handling of certain SWF content, where an unspecified type confusion can be triggered when processing a specially crafted file. This vulnerability is distinct from CVE-2015-7647 but shares the same attack vector [1].

Exploitation

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious SWF file and delivering it to a victim, typically via a compromised website, email attachment, or malvertising. No authentication or special network position is required; the victim only needs to load the SWF content in a browser or application that uses the vulnerable Flash Player. The type confusion leads to memory corruption, which the attacker can leverage to achieve arbitrary code execution [1][2][3].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running Flash Player. This can result in full system compromise, including installation of malware, data theft, or further lateral movement within the network. The impact is rated as Critical by both Adobe and Red Hat [1][2].

Mitigation

Adobe released fixed versions: 18.0.0.255, 19.0.0.226, and 11.2.202.540 (the latter for Linux) in October 2015 [1][2]. Red Hat provided updated packages (flash-plugin-11.2.202.548) for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and 6 Supplementary [1][2]. Gentoo also issued a GLSA recommending upgrade to >=www-plugins/adobe-flash-11.2.202.548 [3]. No workaround is available; users must apply the update to mitigate the vulnerability.