full-disclosure - [FD] How to use the vulnerable flash player plugin installed with Adobe Reader XI (and other Adobe products)

Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Date: Thu, 29 May 2014 21:53:00 +0200
From: "Stefan Kanthak" <stefan.kanthak@...go.de>
To: <bugtraq@...urityfocus.com>
Cc: fulldisclosure@...lists.org
Subject: [FD] How to use the vulnerable flash player plugin installed with
	Adobe Reader XI (and other Adobe products)

Hi @ll,

almost a year ago I wrote in <http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2013/Jul/89>
about the vulnerable NPSWF32.DLL and MSVC*.DLL installed with Adobe Reader XI.

Others wrote about the vulnerable NPSWF32.DLL before, cf.

<http://secunia.com/community/forum/thread/show/13396/adobe_reader_xi_comes_with_old_flash_library>

| After installing Adobe Reader XI there is an NPSWF32.dll in the subdirectory
| of the Reader. 

<http://secunia.com/community/forum/thread/show/2502/adobe_flash_player_9_x_general_plug_in>

| Thanks.I calmed PSI by simply deleting two dll files, both called NPSWF.
| One was buried deep down in Adobe Premier Elements 4.

Since Adobe Reader doesnt use the vulnerable NPSWF32.DLL at all (see
<http://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/flash-player-needed-acrobat-reader.html>;
money qoute: "Adobe Reader and Acrobat no longer include Flash Player")
you may ask yourself: why not put this unused gift into good use?

JFTR: about 6 months before the release of Adobe Reader XI Adobe published
      the following "Background on Security Bulletin APSB12-08"
      <http://blogs.adobe.com/security/2012/04/background-on-security-bulletin-apsb12-08.html>

Here's the "howto", in five easy steps:

Step 1:
    determine the path of the NPSWF32.DLL on your Windows installation
    (on 32-bit systems, Adobe Reader is installed below
    "C:\Program Files\Adobe", and below "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe"
    on 64-bit systems).

Step 2:
    start the Windows Editor and paste the 4 lines between the markers:

--- >% --- %< ---
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MozillaPlugins\@adobe.com/FlashPlayer]
"Path"="C:\\Program Files\\Adobe\\Reader 11.0\\Reader\\npswf32.dll"
--- >% --- %< ---

Step 3:
    if necessary correct the path in the last line to resemble the
    path determined in step 1.

Step 4:
    save the file as "NPSWF32.REG" and close the editor.

Step 5:
    open the NPSWF32.DLL and import it into your registry.

Now (re)start your NPAPI-compatible web browser (Firefox, Seamonkey,
Opera, Safari, ...) and enter the URL <about:plugins>: you'll see a
flash player plugin version 11.5.502.110 listed there (if you see
flash player plugin version 11.4.402.265 then your Adobe Reader XI
is missing all 7 security updates).

regards
Stefan Kanthak

PS: to undo the damage exit the web browser and import the following
    *.REG:

--- >% --- %< ---
REGEDIT4

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MozillaPlugins\@adobe.com/FlashPlayer]
--- >% --- %< ---

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