Flash PlayerApplication · Adobe

CVE-2014-0543

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2014-08-12

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to after 14.0.0.137 or later.

See remediation →

100/100

Remediation priority · Urgent

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

Official description

NVD · unedited

Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.241 and 14.x before 14.0.0.176 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.400 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 14.0.0.178 on Windows and OS X and before 14.0.0.179 on Android, Adobe AIR SDK before 14.0.0.178, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 14.0.0.178 do not properly restrict discovery of memory addresses, which allows attackers to bypass the ASLR protection mechanism via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-0540, CVE-2014-0542, CVE-2014-0544, and CVE-2014-0545.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Adobe Flash Player and AIR versions before 13.0.0.241/14.0.0.176 and 14.0.0.178 respectively contain an information disclosure vulnerability that fails to restrict discovery of memory addresses, enabling attackers to bypass ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) protection via unspecified vectors.

MitigationUpdate Adobe Flash Player to version 13.0.0.241/14.0.0.176 or later (11.2.202.400 on Linux), and Adobe AIR to 14.0.0.178 or later (14.0.0.179 on Android) to obtain the memory address restriction fix.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

Flash PlayerApplication

Affected:<= 13.0.0.231= 13.0.0.182= 13.0.0.201= 13.0.0.206= 13.0.0.214= 13.0.0.223= 14.0.0.125= 14.0.0.145<= 11.2.202.394= 11.2.202.223= 11.2.202.228= 11.2.202.233

Adobe Air SdkApplication

Affected:<= 14.0.0.137= 13.0.0.83= 13.0.0.111= 14.0.0.110

Adobe AirApplication

Affected:<= 14.0.0.110= 13.0.0.83= 13.0.0.111<= 14.0.0.137= 14.0.0.110

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Authentication: None
Confidentiality: Complete
Integrity: Complete
Availability: Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

Identify installed Adobe Flash Player version

Use the browser's about:plugins page or check the Flash Player DLL/plugin file properties to find the installed version number

Affected if The installed version is one of: 13.0.0.231 or earlier; 13.0.0.182; 13.0.0.201; 13.0.0.206; 13.0.0.214; 13.0.0.223; 14.0.0.125; 14.0.0.145; 11.2.202.394 or earlier; 11.2.202.223; 11.2.202.228; 11.2.202.233
Identify installed Adobe AIR version

Check the Adobe AIR application or runtime installation directory, or use the AIR version detection mechanism in the installed application

Affected if The installed version is one of: 14.0.0.137 or earlier; 13.0.0.83; 13.0.0.111; 14.0.0.110
Identify installed Adobe AIR SDK version

Check the AIR SDK installation directory or project configuration files that reference the SDK version

Affected if The installed SDK version is one of: 14.0.0.137 or earlier; 13.0.0.83; 13.0.0.111; 14.0.0.110
Check if Flash Player sandbox or protected mode is in use

Examine the Flash Player security settings or browser plugin configuration to see if additional memory protection features are enabled

Affected if The environment lacks ASLR or other memory randomization protections that could mitigate the information disclosure, combined with a vulnerable Flash Player version

A system is affected if any installed Adobe Flash Player, Adobe AIR, or Adobe AIR SDK version matches the listed vulnerable versions, allowing memory address disclosure that bypasses ASLR.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 14.0.0.137

Vendor patch helpx.adobe.com →

Interim mitigation

Update Adobe Flash Player to version 13.0.0.241/14.0.0.176 or later (11.2.202.400 on Linux), and Adobe AIR to 14.0.0.178 or later (14.0.0.179 on Android) to obtain the memory address restriction fix.

Recommended fix High confidence

Flash Player 13.0.0.241+ (13.x), 14.0.0.176+ (14.x), or 11.2.202.400+ (Linux); Adobe AIR 14.0.0.178+ (Windows/OS X), 14.0.0.179+ (Android); Adobe AIR SDK 14.0.0.178+

1. Identify the installed Adobe Flash Player version by navigating to 'About Flash Player' in the context menu or checking the version in the system preferences
2. Identify the installed Adobe AIR version by checking the version in the Windows Control Panel or Mac Applications folder
3. Download the appropriate fixed version from the official Adobe security bulletin (APSB14-18)
4. For Flash Player: Upgrade to version 13.0.0.241 or later (13.x branch), or 14.0.0.176 or later (14.x branch), or 11.2.202.400 or later (Linux)
5. For Adobe AIR: Upgrade to version 14.0.0.178 or later for Windows and OS X, or 14.0.0.179 or later for Android
6. For Adobe AIR SDK: Upgrade to version 14.0.0.178 or later
7. Restart any running browsers or applications that use Flash Player or Adobe AIR after the upgrade
8. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed versions: Flash Player 13.0.0.241+, 14.0.0.176+, or Linux 11.2.202.400+; Adobe AIR 14.0.0.178+

Caveat Upgrading Flash Player or Adobe AIR may affect existing content or applications that rely on specific runtime behaviors; ensure compatibility testing with critical workflows before production deployment

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Flash Player Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation2.0 h
Implementation4.0 h
Testing2.0 h
Review / QA1.0 h

9.0 hours of engineering $1,600

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Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-0543 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2014-0543?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to after 14.0.0.137 or later

Severity 10.0 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 4.0%

Affects: Flash Player

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Flash Player 9 hrs · Low

Typical engagement from $1,600

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2014-0543 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

Check your environment

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References