Adobe has released a Flash Player update to patch a critical vulnerability that malicious actors have been exploiting in targeted attacks.
The flaw, tracked as CVE-2016-7855, is a use-after-free issue that can be exploited for arbitrary code execution. The security hole was reported to Adobe by Neel Mehta and Billy Leonard from Google’s Threat Analysis Group.
According to Adobe, an exploit for CVE-2016-7855 exists in the wild and it has been used in limited, targeted attacks aimed at users running Windows 7, 8.1 and 10. The company has not shared any other information, but this suggests that the flaw may have been exploited by sophisticated threat actors.
Adobe patched the vulnerability with the release of Flash Player 23.0.0.205 and 11.2.202.643 (Linux). The company said the security hole affects Flash Player 23.0.0.185 and earlier, and 11.2.202.637 and earlier for Linux.
Microsoft and Google are also expected to update Chrome, Internet Explorer 11 and Edge to fix CVE-2016-7855.
Google doesn’t typically share information on cyberattacks, but security companies could provide more details on the attacks involving this flaw in the next days.
Adobe has addressed several zero-day vulnerabilities this year, including flaws exploited by profit-driven cybercriminals and advanced persistent threat (APT) groups in espionage campaigns.
Related Reading: Adobe Patches Flash Zero-Day Exploited by APT Group
Related Reading: Zero-Day Patched by Microsoft Used for Malvertising Since 2014
Related Reading: Microsoft Patches 4 Vulnerabilities Exploited in the Wild
Related Reading: Windows Zero-Day Exploited by “FruityArmor” APT Group
Eduard Kovacs (@EduardKovacs) is a contributing editor at SecurityWeek. He worked as a high school IT teacher for two years before starting a career in journalism as Softpedia’s security news reporter. Eduard holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial informatics and a master’s degree in computer techniques applied in electrical engineering.
More from Eduard Kovacs
- Unpatched Security Flaws Expose Water Pump Controllers to Remote Hacker Attacks
- 3CX Confirms Supply Chain Attack as Researchers Uncover Mac Component
- OpenSSL 1.1.1 Nears End of Life: Security Updates Only Until September 2023
- Google Links More iOS, Android Zero-Day Exploits to Spyware Vendors
- ChatGPT Data Breach Confirmed as Security Firm Warns of Vulnerable Component Exploitation
- Thousands Access Fake DDoS-for-Hire Websites Set Up by UK Police
- Intel Boasts Attack Surface Reduction With New 13th Gen Core vPro Platform
- Dole Says Employee Information Compromised in Ransomware Attack
Latest News
- Unpatched Security Flaws Expose Water Pump Controllers to Remote Hacker Attacks
- 500k Impacted by Data Breach at Debt Buyer NCB
- Chinese Cyberspies Use ‘Melofee’ Linux Malware for Stealthy Attacks
- Why Endpoint Resilience Matters
- Microsoft Cloud Vulnerability Led to Bing Search Hijacking, Exposure of Office 365 Data
- 3CX Confirms Supply Chain Attack as Researchers Uncover Mac Component
- UK Introduces Mass Surveillance With Online Safety Bill
- Musk, Scientists Call for Halt to AI Race Sparked by ChatGPT
