CVE-2016-7855: Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 23.0.0.205 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.643 on Linux allows remote…
Noroxi assessment
Priority: This week (action score 73/100)
- CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild (Mar 3, 2022). Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Mar 24, 2022.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 25.1% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 97.9% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: flash-plugin (Red Hat:rhel_extras:5::client) 0:11.2.202.643-1.el5_11; flash-plugin (Red Hat:rhel_extras:6) 0:11.2.202.643-1.el6_8; flash-player (SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1) 11.2.202.643-146.1.
Don’t wait for the next maintenance window. Upgrade to flash-plugin (Red Hat:rhel_extras:5::client) 0:11.2.202.643-1.el5_11; flash-plugin (Red Hat:rhel_extras:6) 0:11.2.202.643-1.el6_8; flash-player (SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1) 11.2.202.643-146.1 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · CISA KEV · FIRST EPSS
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 23.0.0.205 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.643 on Linux allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, as exploited in the wild in October 2016.
- Published
- Nov 1, 2016
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 25.1% · 97th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-416
Report tools
Action score
73
Don’t wait for the next maintenance window.
- CVSS
- 35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 30 / 30 · Listed
- EPSS
- 8 / 30 · 25.1%
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 US federal agencies: Mar 24, 2022.
Get told when this record changes
- In CISA KEV: exploitation in the wild confirmed
- Weaponized exploit exists
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Is your version affected? Check itNoroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| adobe | flash player | cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player |
| apple | mac os x | cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x |
| chrome os | cpe:2.3:o:google:chrome_os | |
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
| microsoft | windows | cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows |
| microsoft | windows 10 | cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10 |
| microsoft | windows 8.1 | cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_8.1 |
| microsoft | windows rt 8.1 | cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_rt_8.1 |
| microsoft | windows server 2012 | cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2012 |
| 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 workstation | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation |
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 23.0.0.185 inclusive
- adobe flash playerup to 11.2.202.637 inclusive
- redhat enterprise linux desktop5.0
- redhat enterprise linux desktop6.0
- redhat enterprise linux server5.0
- redhat enterprise linux server6.0
- redhat enterprise linux workstation5.0
- redhat enterprise linux workstation6.0
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat:rhel_extras:5::client | flash-plugin | before 0:11.2.202.643-1.el5_11 | 0:11.2.202.643-1.el5_11 |
| Red Hat:rhel_extras:6 | flash-plugin | before 0:11.2.202.643-1.el6_8 | 0:11.2.202.643-1.el6_8 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1 | flash-player | before 11.2.202.643-146.1 | 11.2.202.643-146.1 |
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…KEV99Now
- 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…KEV99Now
- 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…KEV99Now
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2016-6990Oct 13, 2016 · Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.382 and 19.x through 23.x before 23.0.0.185 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.637 on Linux allows…36Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2016-6992Oct 13, 2016 · Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.382 and 19.x through 23.x before 23.0.0.185 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.637 on Linux allows…37Monitor
- Later →CVE-2016-7860Nov 8, 2016 · Adobe Flash Player versions 23.0.0.205 and earlier, 11.2.202.643 and earlier have an exploitable type confusion vulnerability.37Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| red hat:flash-plugin | 0:11.2.202.643-1.el5_11 · Red Hat:rhel_extras:5::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:flash-player | 11.2.202.643-146.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1 | Package registry (OSV) |
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
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2016-10-26 |
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.
- First PoC-7 d
- Published
- CISA KEV+1947 d
- TodayNov 15, 2026+3666 d
Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- 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
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-416 · Use After FreeCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Root cause
After a memory region is freed, another reference pointing to it is still used. By then, the same region may have been allocated for different data.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-416 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
free(dev->buf);
/* ... another thread is still running ... */
process(dev->buf);Fixed
lock(&dev->lock);
free(dev->buf);
dev->buf = NULL;
unlock(&dev->lock);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.
Change log (1)
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (7 more)Show less
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/93861
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1037111
- docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-128
- helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb16-36.html
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201610-10
- security.googleblog.com/2016/10/disclosing-vulnerabilities-to-protect.html
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-7855
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.