CVE-2016-1019 — Adobe Flash Player Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability
Adobe Flash Player 21.0.0.197 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, as exploited in the wild in April 2016.
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
- Used in ransomware campaigns (CISA)+10
- EPSS 22.3% (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 — docs.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: Mar 24, 2022 — passed 1666 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 Air Desktop Runtime, Adobe Air Sdk, Adobe Air Sdk & Compiler…).
- 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 98% 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 | Air Desktop Runtime | ≤ 21.0.0.176 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Adobe | Air Sdk | ≤ 21.0.0.176 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Adobe | Air Sdk & Compiler | ≤ 21.0.0.176 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Adobe | Flash Player | ≤ 18.0.0.333≤ 21.0.0.197≤ 11.2.202.577 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Adobe | Flash Player Desktop Runtime | ≤ 21.0.0.197 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 9.8 | CVSS 3.0 | Critical | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 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.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 22.32%
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 Mar 3, 2022 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · adobe/flash player desktop runtime, adobe/flash player, adobe/air desktop runtime, adobe/air sdk, adobe/air sdk & compil
- CVSS changed · 7.8 → 9.8
- Source status changed · Published → Analyzed
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 7.8
- Source status changed · → Published
- SSVC assessment updated
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2022
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- 2016
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 3× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
19 on the record
- helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsa16-01.html
- helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb16-10.html
- blogs.adobe.com/psirt/
- docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-050
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1035491
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201606-08
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-1019
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00012.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/85856
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-05/msg00045.html
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-0610.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00055.html
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-mj28-pj3c-6jwr
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-05/msg00044.html
- github.com/cisagov/vulnrichment/issues/196
- www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2016/04/cve-2016-1019_a_new.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00010.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00009.html
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2018-15982 Adobe Flash Player Use-After-Free Vulnerability KEV Jan 18, 2019
- High CVE-2018-5002 Adobe Flash Player Stack-based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability KEV Jul 9, 2018
- High CVE-2018-4878 Adobe Flash Player Use-After-Free Vulnerability KEV Feb 6, 2018
- High CVE-2017-11292 Adobe Flash Player Type Confusion Vulnerability KEV Oct 22, 2017
- High CVE-2016-7892 Adobe Flash Player Use-After-Free Vulnerability KEV Dec 15, 2016
- High CVE-2016-7855 Adobe Flash Player Use-After-Free Vulnerability KEV Nov 1, 2016
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-2016-1019 is "Adobe Flash Player Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability", rated Critical. It affects Air Desktop Runtime (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 22.32% 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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