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CVE-2016-7855 — Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 23.0.0.205 on Windows and OS X…

Key facts

CVE-2016-7855 is a High (8.8) vulnerability: Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 23.0.0.205 on Windows and OS X…. This entry ships a detection-only PoC and a Docker test lab. It is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog (added 2022-03-03), confirming active exploitation in the wild.

Actively exploited — on the CISA KEV catalog

CVE-2016-7855 is listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog (added 2022-03-03), confirming exploitation in the wild. Federal remediation deadline: 2022-03-24. Prioritise patching and deploy the detection and prevention rules below.
CVE CVE-2016-7855
Severity High (8.8)
CISA KEV Actively exploited (added 2022-03-03)
Detection / prevention —
PoC poc.py
Source 2016/CVE-2016-7855/

Details

English | 한국어

Description

Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 23.0.0.205 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.643 on Linux allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, as exploited in the wild in October 2016.

Vulnerability Details

Property Value
CVE ID CVE-2016-7855
CVSS Score 8.8

Proof of Concept

Download

# Download PoC script
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fankh/vulnerability-poc/main/2016/CVE-2016-7855/poc.py

Usage

# Run PoC against target
python3 poc.py --target <TARGET_URL>

# With authentication
python3 poc.py --target <TARGET_URL> --username <USER> --password <PASS>

⚠️ Warning: This PoC is for authorized security testing only. It uses detection-only techniques and does not exploit or damage target systems.

Test Lab

This repository includes a Docker-based test environment with both vulnerable and patched applications.

Quick Start

# Clone and navigate to CVE directory
cd CVE-2016-7855

# Start both applications
docker-compose up -d

# Run tests
./run-tests.sh    # Linux/Mac
./run-tests.ps1   # Windows PowerShell

Application Endpoints

Application URL Status
Vulnerable App http://localhost:8080 Shows vulnerability
Patched App http://localhost:8081 Demonstrates fix

Directory Structure

├── README.md           # English documentation
├── README_KO.md        # Korean documentation
├── poc.py              # PoC detection script
├── docker-compose.yml  # Container orchestration
├── run-tests.sh        # Linux/Mac test runner
├── run-tests.ps1       # Windows test runner
├── vulnerable-app/     # Vulnerable version
│   ├── app.py
│   ├── Dockerfile
│   └── requirements.txt
└── patched-app/        # Fixed version
    ├── app.py
    ├── Dockerfile
    └── requirements.txt

References

  • http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2119.html
  • http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93861
  • http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037111
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-128
  • https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb16-36.html
  • https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201610-10
  • https://security.googleblog.com/2016/10/disclosing-vulnerabilities-to-protect.html
  • http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2119.html
  • http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93861
  • http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037111
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-128
  • https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb16-36.html
  • https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201610-10
  • https://security.googleblog.com/2016/10/disclosing-vulnerabilities-to-protect.html
  • https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-7855

Generated by PoC Generator on 2026-07-11T06:10:20.8162417

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-7855?

CVE-2016-7855 is a High (8.8) vulnerability: Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 23.0.0.205 on Windows and OS X…. This entry ships a detection-only PoC and a Docker test lab. It is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog (added 2022-03-03), confirming active exploitation in the wild.

How do I detect CVE-2016-7855?

Run the detection-only PoC included with this entry against your Docker test lab to confirm whether a target is affected; pair it with your own IDS logging.

How do I block or mitigate CVE-2016-7855?

Upgrade to a fixed version per the vendor advisory; the NVD record lists the affected versions. Use the included PoC to verify your remediation.

Is CVE-2016-7855 actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2016-7855 is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 2022-03-03, which means it has been exploited in the wild. CISA set a federal remediation deadline of 2022-03-24. Prioritise patching and deploy the detection and prevention rules above.

For authorized security testing and research only. See the full source and NVD record.