CVE-2020-9746 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Adobe Flash Player version 32.0.0.433 and earlier are affected by an exploitable NULL pointer dereference vulnerability that could lead to a crash and arbitrary code execution when malicious strings are inserted in an HTTP response.

Understanding CVE-2020-9746

Adobe Flash Player is susceptible to a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability that can be exploited for arbitrary code execution.

What is CVE-2020-9746?

This CVE refers to a security flaw in Adobe Flash Player versions 32.0.0.433 and earlier that allows attackers to trigger a NULL pointer dereference, potentially leading to a system crash and unauthorized code execution.

The Impact of CVE-2020-9746

The vulnerability poses a high risk with a CVSS base score of 7, requiring no special privileges for exploitation. An attacker can cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code by manipulating HTTP responses.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-9746

Adobe Flash Player vulnerability details and affected systems.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player versions 32.0.0.433 and earlier allows attackers to exploit a NULL pointer dereference, potentially resulting in a crash and arbitrary code execution.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Flash Player
Vendor: Adobe
Vulnerable Versions: <= 32.0.0.387, <= 32.0.0.433, <= None

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: High
Attack Vector: Local
Availability Impact: High
Confidentiality Impact: High
Integrity Impact: High
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to mitigate the CVE-2020-9746 vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player.

Immediate Steps to Take

Disable Adobe Flash Player in web browsers.
Update Flash Player to the latest version.
Implement network-level protections.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and applications.
Use alternative technologies to Flash Player.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by Adobe.