Use‑After‑Free in Adobe Flash Player (CVE‑2016‑7855) Enables Remote Code Execution
What It Is – A use‑after‑free flaw in Adobe Flash Player for Windows, macOS and Linux allows an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Exploitability – Publicly disclosed; proof‑of‑concept exploits have been circulated and the vulnerability is rated High (CVSS ≈ 7.8).
Affected Products – Adobe Flash Player (all supported versions prior to the 2016‑09‑30 security update).
Why It Matters for Trust & Control Assurance
- Demonstrates the need for a vulnerability‑management control that ensures timely patching of all software assets.
- A missing or delayed patch creates a gap that can be flagged across multiple frameworks (e.g., NIST CSF, ISO 27001, SOC 2) with a single control objective.
- Continuous evidence of remediation (patch‑install logs, configuration baselines) provides a defensible audit trail that enterprise buyers increasingly demand.
Recommended Actions
- Verify that the Adobe Flash Player version on every endpoint is ≤ the September 2016 patch; if not, apply the update or remove Flash entirely.
- Update your asset inventory and vulnerability‑scan policies to include Flash components.
- Capture patch‑install logs and scan results as evidence of control compliance.
- Review and tighten browser‑execution policies (e.g., block Flash by default).
Source: CISA KEV – CVE‑2016‑7855