CVE-2014-0502
Adobe Flash Player Double Free Vulnerablity
Description
CVE-2014-0502 is a high-severity double free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player that was actively exploited as a zero-day in February 2014. The flaw affects Flash Player versions before 11.7.700.269 and 11.8.x through 12.0.x before 12.0.0.70 on Windows and Mac OS X, and before 11.2.202.341 on Linux, as well as Adobe AIR and AIR SDK versions before 4.0.0.1628. Carrying a CVSS score of 8.8 and an EPSS probability of 88.95% (99.5th percentile), this vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code. CISA has included it in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog with a remediation deadline of October 8, 2024.
KEV Information
CVSS Score
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HOpen in CalculatorAffected Products
| Vendor | Product | Version |
|---|---|---|
| adobe | flash player | < 11.7.700.269; >= 11.8.800.94, < 12.0.0.70; < 11.2.202.341 |
| adobe | adobe air sdk | < 4.0.0.1628 |
| adobe | adobe air | < 4.0.0.1628 |
| opensuse | opensuse | 11.4; 12.3; 13.1 |
| suse | linux enterprise desktop | 11 |
| redhat | enterprise linux desktop | 5.0; 6.0 |
| redhat | enterprise linux eus | 6.5 |
| redhat | enterprise linux server | 5.0; 6.0 |
| redhat | enterprise linux server aus | 6.5 |
| redhat | enterprise linux workstation | 5.0; 6.0 |
Multiple CVSS Assessments
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- http://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb14-07.html(Broken Link, Patch, Vendor Advisory)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2014-02/msg00014.html(Mailing List)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2014-02/msg00015.html(Mailing List)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2014-02/msg00017.html(Mailing List)
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2014-0196.html(Third Party Advisory)
- http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-201405-04.xml(Third Party Advisory)
- http://www.alienvault.com/open-threat-exchange/blog/analysis-of-an-attack-exploiting-the-adobe-zero-day-cve-2014-0502/(Exploit, Third Party Advisory)
- https://volatility-labs.blogspot.com/2014/04/building-decoder-for-cve-2014-0502.html(Exploit, Third Party Advisory)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2014-0502(US Government Resource)
Weakness Type
No specific CWE has been assigned to CVE-2014-0502 by NVD. The vulnerability is a double free memory corruption issue in Adobe Flash Player. A double free occurs when the application attempts to free the same block of memory twice, corrupting the memory allocator's internal data structures. In Flash Player's case, this memory management error occurs during the processing of specific SWF content, allowing an attacker to manipulate the heap layout and gain control of execution flow. Double free vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can be reliably exploited to achieve arbitrary code execution by carefully crafting the heap state between the two free operations, allowing the attacker to overwrite function pointers or other critical memory structures.
Impact Analysis
The exploitation of CVE-2014-0502 poses severe consequences for affected users. Confidentiality is fully compromised, enabling attackers to access all data within the user's browser session, steal stored credentials, capture keystrokes, and exfiltrate sensitive documents from the local system. Integrity is completely affected, as successful exploitation grants the attacker the ability to install malware, modify files, inject additional exploits, and establish persistent backdoor access on the compromised machine. Availability is at high risk since exploitation can crash the browser, deploy ransomware that encrypts user files, or install resource-draining malware such as cryptocurrency miners.
Although the vulnerability requires user interaction (visiting a malicious webpage or viewing compromised advertising content), this was commonly achieved through watering hole attacks targeting specific organizations. The EPSS score of 88.95% (99.5th percentile) reflects the extensive exploitation history. Detailed exploit analysis has been published by AlienVault and Volatility Labs, documenting sophisticated attack campaigns. The KEV entry lists ransomware association as "Unknown," but the zero-day exploitation by advanced threat actors demonstrates the vulnerability's value for targeted attacks.
Exploit Maturity
CVE-2014-0502 was exploited as a zero-day vulnerability in February 2014 before Adobe released patches, representing the highest level of exploit maturity. CISA has confirmed the active exploitation history by including it in the KEV catalog with a remediation deadline of October 8, 2024. The EPSS score of 88.95% (99.5th percentile) reflects continued exploitation risk. Detailed technical analysis of real-world exploit campaigns is publicly available from AlienVault's analysis of the zero-day attacks and a Volatility Labs decoder for the exploit. The original attacks used watering hole techniques, embedding the exploit in compromised websites frequented by targeted organizations. The ransomware association is listed as "Unknown" in the KEV catalog. While Flash Player has reached end of life, legacy systems that still have Flash installed remain vulnerable.
Remediation
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Remove Adobe Flash Player entirely from all systems, as Flash Player reached end of life on December 31, 2020, and no longer receives security updates. Adobe has blocked Flash content from running since January 2021. Uninstall Flash Player using Adobe's official uninstaller or through your operating system's software management.
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Verify Flash is disabled in all browsers by checking browser plugin settings. Modern browsers have removed Flash support, but legacy browser installations or enterprise configurations may still have it enabled. Disable any remaining Flash plugin entries in browser settings.
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Update Adobe AIR applications if any are still in use. Adobe AIR versions before 4.0.0.1628 are affected. Migrate AIR-based applications to modern alternatives or ensure they run the latest available AIR runtime.
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Scan for legacy Flash content on internal systems including web applications, training platforms, and content management systems that may still serve SWF files. Replace Flash-based content with HTML5 alternatives to eliminate the attack surface entirely.
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Implement application whitelisting and endpoint protection that can detect and block Flash Player execution on any remaining systems. Configure network-level protections to block SWF file downloads and Flash-related network traffic from untrusted sources.
Technical Details
CVE-2014-0502 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (High) with the vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. The vector breakdown: Attack Vector (AV:N) confirms the vulnerability is exploitable over the network. Attack Complexity (AC:L) indicates exploitation is straightforward once the victim visits the malicious content. Privileges Required (PR:N) means no authentication is needed. User Interaction (UI:R) is the key differentiator — the victim must visit a webpage containing the malicious Flash content. Scope (S:U) indicates impact stays within the Flash Player security context, though this effectively means the user's system since Flash runs with user-level privileges. Confidentiality (C:H), Integrity (I:H), and Availability (A:H) are all High.
The attack exploits a double free condition in Adobe Flash Player's memory management. The attacker crafts a malicious SWF file that triggers the freeing of the same memory block twice during specific ActionScript operations. Between the two free operations, the attacker performs heap manipulation — allocating new objects that occupy the freed memory — so that the second free corrupts the heap metadata in a controlled manner. This corruption allows the attacker to overwrite critical pointers, ultimately redirecting execution to attacker-controlled shellcode. The exploit was observed in watering hole attacks where legitimate websites were compromised to serve the malicious SWF, targeting visitors from specific organizations or industries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2014-0502?
CVE-2014-0502 is a double free memory corruption vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player that was exploited as a zero-day in February 2014. It allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by convincing a user to visit a webpage containing a specially crafted Flash file.
Is this vulnerability still relevant since Flash Player is discontinued?
While Adobe officially discontinued Flash Player on December 31, 2020, the vulnerability remains relevant for organizations with legacy systems that still have Flash installed. Enterprise environments with older applications, kiosk systems, or industrial control interfaces may still have Flash Player present, making them vulnerable to exploitation.
How were the zero-day attacks carried out?
The attacks used a watering hole technique, where legitimate websites frequently visited by targeted organizations were compromised to serve malicious Flash content. When employees visited these compromised websites, their browsers automatically loaded the malicious SWF file, triggering the exploit without any additional user action beyond normal browsing.
What should I do if Flash Player is still installed on my systems?
Immediately uninstall Flash Player from all systems using Adobe's official uninstaller. No patches are available since the product has reached end of life. The only effective remediation is complete removal of Flash Player and all associated browser plugins.
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