CVE-2016-4160
📋 TL;DR
This is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via unspecified vectors. It affects users running vulnerable versions of Flash Player on Windows, OS X, and Linux systems. The vulnerability is distinct from 16 other related CVEs.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Flash Player
📦 What is this software?
Air Sdk by Adobe
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with remote code execution leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Drive-by download attacks where visiting a malicious website or viewing malicious content leads to malware installation and system compromise.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation, application whitelisting, and browser security controls preventing Flash execution.
🎯 Exploit Status
Memory corruption vulnerabilities in Flash Player have historically been quickly weaponized in exploit kits. The unspecified vectors suggest this could be exploited through various Flash content delivery methods.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 21.0.0.242 (Windows/OS X), 11.2.202.621 (Linux), 18.0.0.352 (legacy)
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb16-15.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Visit Adobe Flash Player download center 2. Download latest version for your OS 3. Close all browsers and applications using Flash 4. Run installer 5. Restart system and verify update
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Flash Player in browsers
allPrevent Flash content from executing in web browsers
Browser-specific: Chrome: chrome://settings/content/flash, Firefox: about:addons > Plugins > Shockwave Flash > Never Activate, Edge: edge://settings/content/flash
Use Click-to-Play
allRequire user permission before Flash content executes
Browser-specific: Chrome: chrome://settings/content/flash > Block sites from running Flash, Firefox: about:preferences#applications > Adobe Flash > Ask to Activate
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network-level blocking of Flash content using web proxies or firewalls
- Deploy application control solutions to prevent Flash Player execution entirely
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Visit Adobe's verification page at https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html and click 'Check Now' buttonCheck Version:
Windows: reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Macromedia\FlashPlayer" /v Version, Linux: grep -i version /usr/lib*/flash*/manifest.json, OS X: defaults read /Library/Internet\ Plug-Ins/Flash\ Player.plugin/Contents/Info CFBundleVersionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Flash Player version is 21.0.0.242 or later (Windows/OS X) or 11.2.202.621 or later (Linux)📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Flash Player crash logs with memory corruption errors
- Browser crash reports involving Flash plugin
- Unexpected Flash Player process termination
Network Indicators:
- Unusual SWF file downloads
- Flash content from suspicious domains
- Traffic patterns matching known Flash exploit kits
SIEM Query:
source="*flash*" AND (event_type="crash" OR error="memory" OR error="corruption")🔗 References
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-1079.html
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/90618
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb16-15.html
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201606-08
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-1079.html
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/90618
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb16-15.html
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201606-08
