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CriticalCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Adobe Flash Player Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

IdentifiersCVE-2016-1019CWE-119

CVE-2016-1019 is a critical vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player 21.0.0.197 and earlier. The provided content states that the flaw allows remote attackers to cause an application crash and possibly execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, and that it was exploited in the wild in April 2016. The content further shows this CVE being used in exploit chains delivered through crafted Microsoft Word documents, watering-hole attacks, spoofed Flash installer sites, and malvertising-driven exploit kit landing pages. In observed campaigns, a Flash object selected this exploit based on the victim’s installed Flash version and used it as part of a broader payload delivery chain. Because the vulnerable function or root cause is not specified in the provided material, only a high-level characterization is possible.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation can cause denial of service through a Flash Player crash and may permit arbitrary code execution in the context of the affected user. In the campaigns described in the content, exploitation was used to deliver follow-on malware including the Elise backdoor, trojan downloaders, Ursnif, and Ramnit. Operationally, this can result in full compromise of the user session, malware installation, reconnaissance, credential theft, data theft, and further intrusion activity depending on the payload delivered after exploitation.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate patching is not possible, reduce exposure by disabling or uninstalling Adobe Flash Player, blocking Flash execution in browsers and Office documents, and restricting ActiveX/embedded object execution in Microsoft Office. Additional mitigations include limiting access to untrusted websites, blocking malvertising and known exploit-kit infrastructure, using email controls to prevent delivery of crafted Office attachments, and deploying endpoint protections capable of detecting exploit behavior and post-exploitation payloads. Network and host controls should also monitor for suspicious child-process execution and payload staging following Office or browser-based Flash activity.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade Adobe Flash Player to a version newer than 21.0.0.197 that includes Adobe’s fix for CVE-2016-1019. Because the content confirms in-the-wild exploitation, affected systems should be patched on an urgent basis. Organizations should also remove or disable Adobe Flash Player where it is no longer required, and verify that embedded Flash content in Microsoft Office and browser contexts cannot invoke vulnerable runtimes.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
AdobeAir Desktop Runtimeapplication
AdobeAir Sdkapplication
AdobeAir Sdk & Compilerapplication
AdobeFlash Playerapplication
AdobeFlash Player Desktop Runtimeapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.
Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence2

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware6

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures2

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.