CVE-2015-8071

Vulnerability

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.268, 19.x and 20.x before 20.0.0.228 on Windows and OS X, and before 11.2.202.554 on Linux. The issue also affects Adobe AIR before 20.0.0.204, Adobe AIR SDK before 20.0.0.204, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 20.0.0.204. The vulnerability can be triggered by specially crafted SWF content via unspecified vectors [1].

Exploitation

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by convincing a user to visit a webpage containing malicious SWF content, typically through a crafted advertisement or compromised site. The attack requires no special privileges or user interaction beyond normal web browsing. The unspecified vectors involve a use-after-free condition that is triggered when Flash Player attempts to access memory after it has been freed [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the victim's system with the privileges of the affected process. This can lead to complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, including possible installation of malware or theft of sensitive information [1].

Mitigation

Adobe released fixed versions on December 10, 2015: Flash Player 20.0.0.228 (Windows/OS X), 11.2.202.554 (Linux), and AIR 20.0.0.204. Users should upgrade to these versions immediately. Gentoo users should upgrade to adobe-flash-11.2.202.559 via the emerge process [1]. No workaround is available.