CVE-2015-0311 — Adobe Flash Player Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Unspecified 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 through 11.2.202.438 on Linux allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors, as exploited in the wild in January 2015.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- Public exploit/PoC (metasploit, exploitdb)+20
- EPSS 85.6% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
- Technical severity (critical)+10
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — technet.microsoft.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
CISA required action CISA
The impacted product is end-of-life and should be disconnected if still in use.
US federal deadline: May 4, 2022 — passed 1625 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Adobe Flash Player, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Internet Explorer…).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- EPSS ahead of 100% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe | Flash Player | ≤ 11.2.202.438≤ 13.0.0.262≥ 14.0.0.125 and < 16.0.0.287 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Edge | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Internet Explorer | version 10version 11 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| SUSE | Linux Enterprise Desktop | version 11-sp3version 12 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| SUSE | Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension | version 12 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.8 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | 3.9 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 9.8 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 10.0 | CVSS 2.0 | High | 10.0 | 10.0 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
- Adobe Flash Player ByteArray UncompressViaZlibVariant Use After Free great Apr 28, 2014
- Adobe Flash Player - ByteArray UncompressViaZlibVariant Use-After-Free (Metasploit) verified Mar 12, 2015
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 85.59%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Apr 13, 2022 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · adobe/flash player, suse/linux enterprise desktop, suse/linux enterprise workstation extension, microsoft/internet explo
- CVSS changed · 9.8
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2022
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- 2015
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
18 on the record
- helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsa15-01.html
- technet.microsoft.com/library/security/2755801
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- github.com/cisagov/vulnrichment/issues/196
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-01/msg00027.html
- secunia.com/advisories/62543
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-xvc3-rmmw-6hxp
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/72283
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-201502-02.xml
- helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb15-03.html
- secunia.com/advisories/62660
- secunia.com/advisories/62650
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-01/msg00031.html
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-0311
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1031597
- malware.dontneedcoffee.com/2015/01/unpatched-vulnerability-0day-in-flash.html
- secunia.com/advisories/62740
- secunia.com/advisories/62432
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-70341 Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability Sep 11, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-35429 Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) for Android Spoofing Vulnerability May 12, 2026
- High CVE-2026-31431 Linux Kernel Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres Vulnerability KEV Apr 22, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-33119 Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) for Android Spoofing Vulnerability Apr 10, 2026
- High CVE-2026-26133 M365 Copilot Information Disclosure Vulnerability Mar 16, 2026
- Low CVE-2025-62224 Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) for Android Spoofing Vulnerability Jan 7, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2015-0311 is "Adobe Flash Player Remote Code Execution Vulnerability", rated Critical. It affects Flash Player (Adobe); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 9.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 85.59% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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