CVE-2015-0310
Adobe Flash Player ASLR Bypass Vulnerability
Description
CVE-2015-0310 is a security bypass vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player that allows attackers to circumvent Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), a critical memory protection mechanism. By exploiting this flaw, an attacker can discover memory addresses that are normally randomized, significantly reducing the difficulty of exploiting other memory corruption vulnerabilities. This Flash Player ASLR bypass was used in combination with other exploits to achieve reliable code execution on affected systems. CISA has listed CVE-2015-0310 in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming active exploitation, and its EPSS percentile of 90.0% indicates a high probability of exploitation activity. The impacted product is end-of-life and should be removed.
KEV Information
CVSS Score
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HOpen in CalculatorAffected Products
| Vendor | Product | Version |
|---|---|---|
| adobe | flash player | < 11.2.202.438; < 13.0.0.262; >= 14.0, < 16.0.0.287 |
References
- http://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb15-02.html(Patch, Vendor Advisory)
- http://secunia.com/advisories/62452(Broken Link)
- http://secunia.com/advisories/62601(Broken Link)
- http://secunia.com/advisories/62660(Broken Link)
- http://secunia.com/advisories/62740(Broken Link)
- http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-201502-02.xml(Third Party Advisory)
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/72261(Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1031609(Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- https://github.com/cisagov/vulnrichment/issues/196(Issue Tracking)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2015-0310(US Government Resource)
Weakness Type
No specific CWE has been assigned to CVE-2015-0310 in the NVD database. The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) by improperly restricting the discovery of memory addresses within Adobe Flash Player. ASLR is designed to randomize the base addresses of loaded modules and memory allocations, but this flaw in Flash Player leaks memory layout information, enabling attackers to predict where code and data reside in memory and defeat this protection.
Learn more: CWE Overview
Impact Analysis
CVE-2015-0310 enables ASLR bypass in Adobe Flash Player, which while not directly allowing code execution, critically weakens the security posture of affected systems by eliminating a key exploitation mitigation. Confidentiality: The vulnerability discloses memory address information that should remain hidden, allowing attackers to map the memory layout of the Flash Player process. Integrity: By bypassing ASLR, the attacker can reliably predict memory addresses needed to craft exploitation payloads for other vulnerabilities, transforming unreliable exploits into reliable ones. Availability: When combined with memory corruption vulnerabilities, the ASLR bypass enables full system compromise, potentially leading to denial of service or system destruction. With an EPSS percentile of 90.0%, this vulnerability has a high probability of exploitation, primarily as a component in chained attack scenarios where it enables exploitation of other Flash vulnerabilities that would otherwise be mitigated by ASLR.
Exploit Maturity
CISA has confirmed active exploitation of CVE-2015-0310 by listing it in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with the note that the impacted product is end-of-life and should be disconnected if still in use. The EPSS percentile of 90.0% indicates a high likelihood of exploitation activity. ASLR bypass vulnerabilities are highly valued by attackers because they serve as enablers for other exploits. CVE-2015-0310 was used in the wild as part of exploit chains where it provided the memory layout information needed to reliably exploit separate memory corruption vulnerabilities in Flash Player, making it a critical component of real-world attack campaigns.
Remediation
- Remove Adobe Flash Player entirely from all systems. As stated in the CISA KEV required action, the impacted product is end-of-life and should be disconnected if still in use. Adobe ended Flash Player support on December 31, 2020.
- Remove Flash Player browser plugins from all browsers, including any legacy browser installations that may still have Flash enabled.
- Migrate all Flash-dependent content and applications to modern web technologies such as HTML5, WebAssembly, and JavaScript.
- Block Flash content at network perimeter using web proxies and content filtering to prevent SWF files from being downloaded and executed.
- Enable operating system-level exploit mitigations including ASLR, DEP, and Control Flow Guard on all systems to provide defense-in-depth protection against similar memory disclosure vulnerabilities in other software.
Technical Details
CVE-2015-0310 is an information disclosure vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player that defeats Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR). ASLR randomizes the base addresses of loaded libraries and heap allocations to make exploitation of memory corruption bugs more difficult, as attackers cannot predict where code and data will be located. The vulnerability in Flash Player allows an attacker to discover these randomized addresses through a flaw in how memory address information is handled internally. With knowledge of the exact memory layout, an attacker can construct precision exploitation payloads for other memory corruption vulnerabilities (such as use-after-free or heap overflow bugs), bypassing ASLR protection entirely. This type of vulnerability is classified as an information leak or memory disclosure, and while it does not enable code execution on its own, it is a critical prerequisite in modern multi-stage exploitation chains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2015-0310 being actively exploited?
Yes, CVE-2015-0310 is actively exploited. CISA confirmed its inclusion in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and noted the product is end-of-life. The EPSS percentile of 90.0% indicates high exploitation probability. The vulnerability is primarily exploited as part of multi-stage attack chains.
What products are affected by CVE-2015-0310?
CVE-2015-0310 affects Adobe Flash Player. The product reached end-of-life on December 31, 2020, and no longer receives security updates. Any remaining installations are permanently vulnerable.
How do I fix CVE-2015-0310?
Completely remove Adobe Flash Player from all systems and browsers. Since the product is end-of-life, no patches are available. Migrate Flash-dependent applications to modern web technologies and block Flash content at network boundaries.
How severe is CVE-2015-0310?
CVE-2015-0310 is an ASLR bypass vulnerability with an EPSS percentile of 90.0%. While it does not directly enable code execution, it eliminates a critical security protection, making exploitation of other memory corruption vulnerabilities reliable. Its value as an exploitation enabler makes it a significant security concern.
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