CVE-2019-7098
📋 TL;DR
Adobe Shockwave Player versions 12.3.4.204 and earlier contain a memory corruption vulnerability that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This affects users who have Shockwave Player installed and visit malicious websites or open malicious content. The vulnerability is rated critical with a CVSS score of 9.8.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Shockwave Player
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control over the victim's computer, enabling data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to malware installation, credential theft, or system compromise when users visit malicious websites containing specially crafted Shockwave content.
If Mitigated
No impact if Shockwave Player is updated to patched version or removed entirely from systems.
🎯 Exploit Status
Memory corruption vulnerabilities in widely deployed media players are frequently weaponized in exploit kits and drive-by attacks.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 12.3.5.205 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/shockwave/apsb19-20.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Shockwave Player. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow prompts to install update to version 12.3.5.205 or later. 4. Restart system to complete installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Shockwave Player in browsers
allPrevent Shockwave content from executing in web browsers
Browser-specific: Disable Shockwave plugin/add-on in browser settings
Remove Shockwave Player
allUninstall Shockwave Player completely
Windows: Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall Adobe Shockwave Player
macOS: Drag Adobe Shockwave Player to Trash
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized Shockwave Player execution
- Deploy network filtering to block access to known malicious websites and restrict Shockwave content
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Shockwave Player version: Open Shockwave Player > Help > About Adobe Shockwave Player. If version is 12.3.4.204 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Windows: reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Shockwave Player" /v VersionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 12.3.5.205 or later in About Adobe Shockwave Player dialog.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes of Shockwave Player
- Unusual process creation from Shockwave Player executable (swhelper.exe on Windows)
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests for .dcr or .dir files (Shockwave content) followed by unusual outbound connections
SIEM Query:
process_name:swhelper.exe AND (parent_process:chrome.exe OR parent_process:firefox.exe OR parent_process:iexplore.exe) AND process_creation