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- Macromedia Flash Activex Buffer overflow
-
- Release Date:
- 05/02/2002
-
- Severity:
- High (Remote code execution)
-
- Systems Affected:
- Flash Activex Ocx Version 6, revision 23
- (Possibly older versions)
-
- Forward:
- This is an unusual advisory in a number of ways.
-
- One, it was found while investigating an access error encountered during
- normal web surfing, which was suspicious. Within a few hours we had
- confirmed on multiple Operating Systems that this was an exploitable
- condition that overwrote EIP.
-
- Two, while we tested on these systems with the latest install from the
- vendor's site, when we contacted the vendor they informed us that they had
- just released a new build this same day which already fixed the problem.
- They asked us to confirm this. We tried the link they gave us and it did
- indeed fix the problem and was a new build. Testing the link later that
- night confirmed the link we used to install the ocx now had the fixed,
- latest version.
-
- In this, we congratulate Macromedia for: finding the bug, fixing it, and
- releasing the build in a timely fashion. This truly shows that they are
- dedicated to security just as they have stated they are.
-
- However, because there is a signed flash ocx out there which has been
- downloaded by an untold number of people, and potentially could still be
- used in an exploit scenario against those without the latest ocx we felt the
- need to release this advisory.
-
- Furthermore, this issue was found in the wild, and it is not safe to assume
- it could not be found by others with malicious intent. Nor do we believe it
- is safe to assume this has not been found by users with malicious intent.
-
- There are further issues with old activex objects which have such
- vulnerabilities which will be discussed in the description section.
-
- Description:
-
- A vulnerability in the parameter handling to the Flash OCX, which could lead
- to the execution of attacker supplied code via email, web or any other
- avenue in which Internet Explorer is used to display html that an attacker
- can supply. This includes software which uses the web browser activex.
-
- All users of Internet Explorer are potentially affected because this is a
- Macromedia signed ocx. We advise them to upgrade their flash version
- immediately to version 6, revision 29.
-
- Example:
-
- <OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000">
- <PARAM NAME=movie
- VALUE="http://www.notthere8979873.com/notthere.swf?AAA[...unstated, but
- fixed number]XXXXXXXX">
- </OBJECT>
-
- Where X overwrites the EIP consistently across Windows platforms.
-
- Technical Description:
-
- Flash.ocx is an activex object installed with Internet Explorer, and is used
- to display flash objects on the web.
-
- Proper bounds checking is not in place in the "movie" parameter which
- overwrites EIP at an unsaid, but fixed number of bytes across Windows
- platforms.
-
- Because the ocx is signed by Macromedia: there is a chance the older activex
- could be used against people without flash; people whom have an older
- version of flash not affected may be forced to "upgrade" to the affected
- version; and, of course, those with the affected versions need to upgrade
- lest the exploit works out of the box on them.
-
- There has been considerable debate about legacy activex objects which have
- exploits within them. In general, if someone uses the codebase parameter to
- point to an affected version of the activex, the system will first try and
- grab the activex from Microsoft's activex store on the web. Then, it will
- try the activex specified in the codebase tag by the malicious user.
-
- We do not believe this method is full proof.
-
- We do not believe the method is full proof because of the potential of the
- activex storehouse check failing and because of the potentiality for the
- activex to be called by other methods. (At least a few potential other
- methods are in the RFC for applets and objects).
-
- However, the other option of setting the "kill bit" for the affected activex
- and reassigning the fixed activex version with a new classid is only a
- suggestion we will make in this case. We do not believe it is necessarily
- mandatory.
-
- Risk should be mitigated to a satisfactory level by users upgrading to the
- new ocx.
-
- Vendor Status:
- Visit Macromedia's site to get the latest Flash ocx to eliminate these
- issues.
- http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=Shock
- waveFlash
-
- Credit: Drew Copley
-
- Greetings: Fat code: presented by Yahoo and Weight Watchers. KROQ, and corn
- dog manufacturers world wide.
-
- Copyright (c) 1998-2002 eEye Digital Security
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