CVE-2015-5122 — Adobe Flash Player Use-After-Free Vulnerability
Use-after-free vulnerability in the DisplayObject class in the ActionScript 3 (AS3) implementation in Adobe Flash Player 13.x through 13.0.0.302 on Windows and OS X, 14.x through 18.0.0.203 on Windows and OS X, 11.x through 11.2.202.481 on Linux, and 12.x through 18.0.0.204 on Linux Chrome installations allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via crafted Flash content that leverages improper handling of the opaqueBackground property, as exploited in the wild in July 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 93.9% (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.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
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 1626 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, Adobe Flash Player Desktop Runtime, Opensuse Evergreen…).
- 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.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- EPSS ahead of 100% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe | Flash Player | ≥ 11.0 and ≤ 11.2.202.481≥ 18.0 and ≤ 18.0.0.203≥ 13.0 and ≤ 13.0.0.302≥ 18.0 and ≤ 18.0.0.204 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Adobe | Flash Player Desktop Runtime | ≥ 18.0 and ≤ 18.0.0.203 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Opensuse | Evergreen | version 11.4 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Red Hat | Enterprise Linux Desktop | version 5.0version 6.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Red Hat | Enterprise Linux Server | version 5.0version 6.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Red Hat | Enterprise Linux Server Eus | version 6.6 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Red Hat | Enterprise Linux Workstation | version 6.0version 5.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| SUSE | Linux Enterprise Desktop | version 12version 11-sp4version 11-sp3 | 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) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
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 opaqueBackground Use After Free great Jul 6, 2015
- Adobe Flash - opaqueBackground Use-After-Free (Metasploit) verified Jul 13, 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 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 93.89%
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).
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
- 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
- Affected products added · adobe/flash player, adobe/flash player desktop runtime, redhat/enterprise linux desktop, redhat/enterprise linux server,
- 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
26 on the record
- helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb15-18.html
- helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsa15-04.html
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/browser/adobe_flash_opaque_background_uaf
- perception-point.io/2018/04/11/breaking-cfi-cve-2015-5122-coop/
- h20564.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay
- www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/07/cve-2015-5122_-_seco.html
- perception-point.io/2018/04/11/breaking-cfi-cve-2015-5122-coop
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/75712
- h20564.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay
- www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37599/
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-07/msg00029.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-07/msg00032.html
- www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37599
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-9h3m-vp3m-35pw
- perception-point.io/new/breaking-cfi.php
- marc.info/
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1235.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-07/msg00028.html
- github.com/cisagov/vulnrichment/issues/196
- www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA15-195A
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/132663/Adobe-Flash-opaqueBackground-Use-After-Free.html
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-5122
- www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/338736
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1032890
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201508-01
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-31431 Linux Kernel Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres Vulnerability KEV Apr 22, 2026
- High CVE-2025-32463 Sudo Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere Vulnerability KEV Jun 30, 2025
- High CVE-2025-6021 Libxml2: integer overflow in xmlbuildqname() leads to stack buffer overflow in libxml2 Jun 12, 2025
- High CVE-2024-12085 Rsync: info leak via uninitialized stack contents Jan 14, 2025
- High CVE-2024-1086 Linux Kernel Use-After-Free Vulnerability KEV Jan 31, 2024
- High CVE-2019-8720 WebKitGTK Memory Corruption Vulnerability KEV Mar 6, 2023
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 fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- 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-2015-5122 is "Adobe Flash Player Use-After-Free 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 93.89% 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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