Adobe Flash Player 21.0.0.226 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, as exploited in the wil
Adobe Flash Player 21.0.0.226 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, as exploited in the wild in May 2016.
- Published
- May 10, 2016
- Updated
- Sep 10, 2026
- EPSS
- 94.4% · 100th percentile
- CWE
- —
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Report tools
Action score
97
Now
Patch today or shut off access.
- CVSS
- 39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 30 / 30 · Listed
- EPSS
- 28 / 30 · 94.4%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- active
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
Actively exploited in the wild
CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Mar 3, 2022. That signals real attacks, not theory.
Remediation deadline for government agencies: Mar 24, 2022.
Known to be used in ransomware campaigns.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| adobe | flash player | cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player |
| redhat | enterprise linux desktop | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop |
| redhat | enterprise linux server | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server |
| redhat | enterprise linux server from rhui | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_from_rhui |
| redhat | enterprise linux workstation | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation |
| opensuse | evergreen | cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:evergreen |
| opensuse | opensuse | cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse |
| suse | linux enterprise desktop | cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_desktop |
| suse | linux enterprise workstation extension | cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_workstation_extension |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- adobe flash playerup to 21.0.0.226 inclusive
- opensuse evergreen11.4
- opensuse opensuse13.1
- opensuse opensuse13.2
- redhat enterprise linux desktop5.0
- redhat enterprise linux desktop6.0
- redhat enterprise linux server5.0
- redhat enterprise linux server6.0
- redhat enterprise linux server from rhui5.0
- redhat enterprise linux server from rhui6.0
- redhat enterprise linux workstation5.0
- redhat enterprise linux workstation6.0
- suse linux enterprise desktop12
- suse linux enterprise workstation extension12
Same product
adobe: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2015-5119Use-after-free vulnerability in the ByteArray class in the ActionScript 3 (AS3) implementation in Adobe Flash Player 13.x through 13.0.0.296KEV99Now
- CVE-2015-3113Heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.296 and 14.x through 18.x before 18.0.0.194 on Windows and OS X and before 11KEV99Now
- CVE-2014-0497Integer underflow in Adobe Flash Player before 11.7.700.261 and 11.8.x through 12.0.x before 12.0.0.44 on Windows and Mac OS X, and before 1KEV99Now
- CVE-2015-0313Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.269 and 14.x through 16.x before 16.0.0.305 on Windows and OS X and before KEV98Now
- CVE-2015-5122Use-after-free vulnerability in the DisplayObject class in the ActionScript 3 (AS3) implementation in Adobe Flash Player 13.x through 13.0.0KEV97Now
- CVE-2015-0311Unspecified vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player through 13.0.0.262 and 14.x, 15.x, and 16.x through 16.0.0.287 on Windows and OS X and throuKEV95Now
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
Weaponized
A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.
Evidence
- Metasploit module ×1
- Exploit-DB entry ×1
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×1
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Exploit-DB entry | remote | 2019-02-11 |
| Metasploit module | exploit/osx/browser/adobe_flash_delete_range_tl_opAdobe Flash Player DeleteRangeTimelineOperation Type-Confusionexploit | 2016-04-27 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:1 | 2017-02-23 |
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- Metasploit-14 d
- Published
- First PoC+288 d
- CISA KEV+2122 d
- TodaySep 30, 2026+3794 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
—
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-05/msg00044.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-05/msg00045.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-05/msg00046.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-05/msg00047.html
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-1079.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/90505
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1035826
- helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsa16-02.html
- helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb16-15.html
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201606-08
- github.com/cisagov/vulnrichment/issues/196
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-4117
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.