dbcve.org
Flash PlayerApplication · Adobe

CVE-2015-3086

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-05-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 17.0.0.144 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.289 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.188 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.460 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 17.0.0.172, Adobe AIR SDK before 17.0.0.172, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 17.0.0.172 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code by leveraging an unspecified "type confusion," a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-3077 and CVE-2015-3084.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Adobe Flash Player and AIR contain a type confusion vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors. This is a critical flaw in the player runtime that can be exploited through malicious SWF files or web content.

MitigationUpdate Adobe Flash Player to version 13.0.0.289 or later (Windows/OS X), 11.2.202.460 or later (Linux), and Adobe AIR to 17.0.0.172 or later. Remove or disable Flash Player where possible given its end-of-life status.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Flash PlayerApplication
Affected:<= 13.0.0.264= 14.0.0.125= 14.0.0.145= 14.0.0.176= 14.0.0.179= 15.0.0.152= 15.0.0.167= 15.0.0.189= 15.0.0.223= 15.0.0.239= 15.0.0.246= 16.0.0.235
AirApplication
Affected:<= 17.0.0.144
Air SdkApplication
Affected:<= 17.0.0.144
Air Sdk \& CompilerApplication
Affected:<= 17.0.0.144

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Adobe Flash Player version in browsers
    Open each installed browser and navigate to a Flash version detection page (e.g., adobe.com/software/flash/about), or check Windows registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Macromedia\FlashPlayer\CurrentVersion, or on Mac check /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Flash Player/
    Affected if The displayed version is 13.0.0.264 or lower, or matches any of these: 14.0.0.125, 14.0.0.145, 14.0.0.176, 14.0.0.179, 15.0.0.152, 15.0.0.167, 15.0.0.189, 15.0.0.223, 15.0.0.239, 15.0.0.246, or 16.0.0.235
  2. Check Adobe AIR version installed on the system
    On Windows, open Programs and Features or check registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Adobe AIR; on macOS, check /Applications/Adobe AIR Installer.app or the application itself for version info
    Affected if The installed Adobe AIR version is 17.0.0.144 or lower
  3. Check Adobe AIR SDK version
    If AIR application development is performed, locate the AIR SDK installation directory and check the README or version file (typically in the SDK root folder, such as a version.properties or AIRSDK_README.txt file)
    Affected if The AIR SDK version is 17.0.0.144 or lower
  4. Verify if Flash Player plugin is enabled in browsers
    Check browser plugin settings: Chrome (chrome://plugins), Firefox (about:addons), IE (Manage Add-ons), and ensure the Flash Player plugin is actually active and not disabled
    Affected if Flash Player is present at a vulnerable version AND the plugin is enabled in any browser

The environment is affected if any installed version of Adobe Flash Player, Adobe AIR, or Adobe AIR SDK matches or falls within the affected version ranges listed for CVE-2015-3086 and the relevant component is actively in use.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 17.0.0.144
Vendor patch helpx.adobe.com →
Interim mitigation

Update Adobe Flash Player to version 13.0.0.289 or later (Windows/OS X), 11.2.202.460 or later (Linux), and Adobe AIR to 17.0.0.172 or later. Remove or disable Flash Player where possible given its end-of-life status.

Recommended fix High confidence

Flash Player 13.0.0.289+ (13.x) or 17.0.0.188+ (14.x-17.x) for Windows/macOS, 11.2.202.460+ for Linux; Adobe AIR 17.0.0.172+ (including AIR SDK and AIR SDK & Compiler)

  1. Identify the installed Adobe Flash Player version via About or the version check page at adobe.com/software/flash/about
  2. Identify the installed Adobe AIR version in Windows Programs and Features or macOS Applications folder
  3. Navigate to the Adobe Security Bulletin APSB15-09 at helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb15-09.html
  4. Download the appropriate fixed version: Flash Player 13.0.0.289+ (13.x branch), Flash Player 17.0.0.188+ (14.x-17.x), or Flash Player 11.2.202.460+ (Linux)
  5. Download Adobe AIR 17.0.0.172+ if using AIR, AIR SDK, or AIR SDK & Compiler
  6. Close all browser instances and applications using Flash Player or AIR
  7. Install the Flash Player update by running the downloaded installer
  8. Install the AIR update if applicable
Caveat None expected for standard upgrade; ensure browser restart after installation and verify compatibility with any embedded Flash content

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Flash Player Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $890
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,424.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-3086 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-3086 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data