CVE-2012-2034
Adobe Flash Player Memory Corruption Vulnerability
Description
CVE-2012-2034 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 11.3.300.257 on Windows and Mac OS X, before 11.2.202.236 on Linux, and Adobe AIR before 3.3.0.3610 that allows remote code execution via a crafted SWF file. The flaw occurs during the processing of specially crafted SWF content, where memory corruption enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. With an EPSS score of 19.1% (96.1st percentile), this vulnerability has seen notable exploitation activity. CISA has added CVE-2012-2034 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
KEV Information
CVSS Score
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HOpen in CalculatorAffected Products
| Vendor | Product | Version |
|---|---|---|
| adobe | flash player | <= 11.2.202.235; <= 11.1.115.8; <= 11.1.111.9 |
| adobe | air | <= 3.2.0.2070 |
| opensuse | opensuse | 11.4; 12.1 |
| suse | linux enterprise desktop | 10; 11 |
| redhat | enterprise linux desktop | 5.0; 6.0 |
| redhat | enterprise linux eus | 6.2 |
| redhat | enterprise linux server | 5.0; 6.0 |
| redhat | enterprise linux server aus | 6.2 |
| redhat | enterprise linux workstation | 5.0; 6.0 |
Multiple CVSS Assessments
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2012-06/msg00006.html(Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2012-06/msg00007.html(Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-0722.html(Third Party Advisory)
- http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb12-14.html(Vendor Advisory)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2012-2034(US Government Resource)
Weakness Type
CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
CVE-2012-2034 is caused by a memory corruption flaw in Adobe Flash Player's SWF file processing engine. When parsing certain SWF structures, the Flash Player fails to properly validate memory boundaries, allowing an attacker to write data beyond allocated buffers and corrupt adjacent memory regions to gain control of program execution.
Learn more: CWE-119 — Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
Impact Analysis
CVE-2012-2034 has a CVSS v2 base score of 9.3 (Critical), reflecting the severe consequences of successful exploitation. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable through web browsers with Flash Player installed — an attacker only needs to serve a malicious SWF file through a compromised or attacker-controlled website. No authentication is required, and successful exploitation grants code execution with the privileges of the user running the browser. The EPSS score of 19.1% (96.1st percentile) indicates significant exploitation activity. Given Flash Player's historical ubiquity in web browsers, this vulnerability represented a major threat to web users during its active exploitation period.
Exploit Maturity
Public exploit code for CVE-2012-2034 has been available since its disclosure, and the vulnerability was incorporated into multiple exploit kits targeting web users. CISA confirmed active exploitation by adding it to the KEV catalog. While Flash Player has since reached end of life and has been largely removed from browsers, the historical exploitation of this vulnerability was substantial. The EPSS score of 19.1% (96.1st percentile) reflects the exploitation activity observed over the vulnerability's lifecycle.
Remediation
- Remove Adobe Flash Player entirely from all systems. Flash Player reached end of life on December 31, 2020, and Adobe has blocked Flash content from running since January 2021. No security updates are being provided.
- Ensure all web browsers have Flash blocked by default. Modern browsers no longer support Flash Player plugins, but verify that legacy browser installations have Flash disabled or removed.
- Audit systems for legacy Flash installations and remove all instances. This includes standalone Flash Player installations, browser plugins, and Flash-based applications.
- Migrate Flash-dependent content to modern web technologies such as HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript to eliminate the need for Flash Player entirely.
- Implement network-level controls to block SWF file downloads from untrusted sources as an additional layer of defense for environments where Flash removal is not yet complete.
Technical Details
CVE-2012-2034 is a memory corruption vulnerability (CWE-119) in Adobe Flash Player's SWF processing engine. The flaw occurs during the parsing of crafted SWF file structures, where improper validation of data lengths and offsets leads to out-of-bounds memory writes. When Flash Player processes the malicious SWF content, the memory corruption overwrites critical data structures on the heap, allowing the attacker to redirect program execution to attacker-controlled code. The vulnerability can be triggered through any delivery mechanism that loads SWF content, including embedded Flash objects in web pages, Flash-based advertisements, and standalone SWF files. The attack requires no user interaction beyond loading the malicious content in a Flash-enabled environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2012-2034 being actively exploited?
CVE-2012-2034 was actively exploited during its peak period when Flash Player was widely deployed. CISA confirmed active exploitation by including it in the KEV catalog. Since Flash Player reached end of life in 2020, active exploitation has declined significantly as the attack surface has shrunk.
What products are affected by CVE-2012-2034?
Adobe Flash Player before 11.3.300.257 on Windows and Mac OS X, before 11.2.202.236 on Linux, and Adobe AIR before 3.3.0.3610 are affected. All platforms where Flash Player was installed are potentially vulnerable.
How do I fix CVE-2012-2034?
Remove Adobe Flash Player entirely from all systems. Flash Player reached end of life on December 31, 2020, and no security updates are being provided. Modern browsers no longer support Flash plugins.
How severe is CVE-2012-2034?
CVE-2012-2034 has a CVSS v2 score of 9.3 (Critical) and enables remote code execution through crafted SWF files. The EPSS score of 19.1% reflects significant historical exploitation activity through exploit kits and malicious websites.
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