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CriticalCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Adobe Flash Player remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2015-0311)

IdentifiersCVE-2015-0311CWE-94

CVE-2015-0311 is an unspecified vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player that affects Windows, OS X, and Linux builds. According to the provided content, affected versions include 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 through 11.2.202.438 on Linux. The flaw was exploited in the wild as a Flash zero-day in January 2015 and was rapidly integrated into multiple exploit kits including Angler, RIG, Fiesta, Nuclear Pack, Sweet Orange, Neutrino, Magnitude, and Sundown. The specific vulnerable function or root cause is not provided in the supplied material, but the vulnerability enabled delivery of malicious SWF content that resulted in arbitrary code execution on the target system.

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For your environment

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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 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the affected user via malicious Flash content. In observed in-the-wild campaigns, exploitation was used to install malware families including Bedep, Pony, Reveton, and likely Vawtrak, enabling follow-on activity such as ad fraud, malware retrieval, and broader system compromise.

Mitigation

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

Until patched or removed, mitigate by disabling Adobe Flash Player in browsers and applications, using click-to-play, restricting execution of SWF content from untrusted sites, and reducing exposure to malvertising and exploit-kit delivery paths through web filtering and script/plugin controls. Network and endpoint detections for exploit-kit traffic and malicious SWF retrieval can reduce exposure, but they are compensating controls only.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade Adobe Flash Player to a version containing Adobe's fix. The provided content states the issue was patched in Flash Player 16.0.0.296. Any affected versions at or below 16.0.0.287 on Windows/OS X, and 11.2.202.438 on Linux, should be updated to the vendor-fixed release or later. Given the age and risk profile of Flash, removal of Adobe Flash Player where no longer required is the preferred long-term remediation.
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
AdobeFlash Playerapplication
Microsoft CorporationEdgeapplication
Microsoft CorporationInternet Explorerapplication
SuseLinux Enterprise Desktopoperating_system
SuseLinux Enterprise Workstation Extensionoperating_system

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 evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware7

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 activity1

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