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HighCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Adobe Flash Player Primetime SDK Use-After-Free RCE

IdentifiersCVE-2018-4878CWE-416· Use After Free

CVE-2018-4878 is a use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player affecting versions before 28.0.0.161, with multiple references specifying Flash Player 28.0.0.137 and earlier as vulnerable at disclosure. The flaw is described as a dangling pointer condition in the Primetime SDK related to media player handling of listener objects, and is also referenced as occurring within the DRMManager "initialize" call. By triggering the stale object reference after free, an attacker can corrupt memory and achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the Flash Player process. The vulnerability was exploited in the wild as a zero-day in late 2017 and early 2018, including delivery through malicious Microsoft Office documents containing embedded Flash content (SWF).

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows remote arbitrary code execution and can let an attacker take control of the affected system. In observed campaigns, the vulnerability was used for client-side initial compromise and malware delivery, including deployment of payloads such as DOGCALL. Because exploitation occurs in the context of the user opening malicious content, impact can include full compromise of the user session, installation of implants, persistence via follow-on malware, credential theft, and lateral movement depending on host privileges and post-exploitation activity.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate patching is not possible, disable or uninstall Flash Player until remediation is completed. Enable click-to-play for browser plugins where applicable, configure Internet Explorer/Flash prompting behavior on supported legacy Windows systems, and use Microsoft Office Protected View to reduce risk from emailed Office documents. Additional practical mitigations include blocking or restricting SWF execution, filtering suspicious Office attachments, and exercising caution with unsolicited documents, especially those delivered by email.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade Adobe Flash Player to version 28.0.0.161 or later; at the time of disclosure Adobe indicated a fix would be released during the week of 2018-02-05. More broadly, remove or retire Adobe Flash Player where still present, as it is end-of-life software. Ensure all browser-integrated and desktop Flash components are updated or uninstalled, and verify that embedded Flash execution paths in Office and browsers are no longer available.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

2 valid exploits after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos (4 hidden).

VALID 2 / 6 TOTALView more in app
CVE-2018-4878MaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository contains a proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2018-4878, a critical use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player. The main file, Flashp0c.py, is a Python script that generates a malicious SWF file containing Windows shellcode (calc.exe) and an HTML file that embeds the SWF. The script then starts a local HTTP server on port 8080, serving these files to potential victims. When a vulnerable browser loads the index.html page, the embedded SWF triggers the vulnerability, resulting in execution of the shellcode (calc.exe) on the victim's Windows system. The exploit is operational, with a hardcoded payload, and is intended for demonstration and research purposes. The README provides context and credits, referencing the original PoC and the author's modifications.

SyFiDisclosed Apr 4, 2018pythonbrowser
CVE-2018-4878MaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository is a proof-of-concept (POC) exploit for CVE-2018-4878, a use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player (version 27, 32-bit). The exploit is implemented as a malicious SWF file, with supporting ActionScript 3 source code in the 'src' directory. The main exploit logic is in 'Main.as', which triggers the vulnerability by manipulating DRM event listeners and ByteArray objects, resulting in a corrupted ByteArray with arbitrary memory read/write capabilities. The 'bin/index.html' file is used to load the SWF in a browser environment, leveraging 'swfobject.js' for embedding. The exploit does not include a weaponized payload but demonstrates the ability to gain memory access, which can be used for further exploitation. The repository is structured for research and demonstration purposes, with clear separation between source, build, and deployment files. No hardcoded network endpoints or external C2 infrastructure are present; the attack is delivered via a browser loading the malicious SWF.

mdsecactivebreachDisclosed Feb 9, 2018actionscriptjavascriptbrowser
EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
AdobeFlash Playerapplication
Red HatEnterprise Linux Desktopoperating_system
Red HatEnterprise Linux Serveroperating_system
Red HatEnterprise Linux Workstationoperating_system

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.
Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence10

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware2

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures2

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

Adobe Flash Player Primetime SDK Use-After-Free RCE (CVE-2018-4878) | Mallory