Flash PlayerApplication · Adobe

CVE-2015-3135

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-07-09

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to after 18.0.0.144 or later.

See remediation →

100/100

Remediation priority · Urgent

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

Official description

NVD · unedited

Heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.302 and 14.x through 18.x before 18.0.0.203 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.481 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 18.0.0.180, Adobe AIR SDK before 18.0.0.180, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 18.0.0.180 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-4432 and CVE-2015-5118.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors. Affects Flash Player versions before 13.0.0.302, 14.x-18.x before 18.0.0.203 on Windows/OS X, and before 11.2.202.481 on Linux, as well as Adobe AIR and AIR SDK versions before 18.0.0.180.

MitigationUpdate Adobe Flash Player to version 13.0.0.302 or later (14.x/18.x to 18.0.0.203+), and Adobe AIR/SDK to version 18.0.0.180 or later. Given the CVSS 10 severity, prioritize urgent patching across all affected endpoints.

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

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

Flash PlayerApplication

Affected:<= 13.0.0.289= 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:<= 18.0.0.144

Air SdkApplication

Affected:<= 18.0.0.144

Air Sdk \& CompilerApplication

Affected:<= 18.0.0.144

CVSS breakdown

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?

dbcve checks

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

Identify installed Adobe Flash Player version

On Windows, open the Add or Remove Programs panel or check the version property of the Flash Player ActiveX control (flash.ocx) in System32. On Linux, run 'rpm -q flash-player' or check the installed package version. On macOS, check the Flash Player plug-in in /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ or the application bundle.

Affected if The installed version is 13.0.0.289 or earlier, OR matches any of these specific versions: 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, OR is any 14.x/15.x/16.x/17.x/18.x version earlier than 18.0.203 on Windows/m
Identify installed Adobe AIR version

On Windows, open Add or Remove Programs and locate Adobe AIR. On macOS, check /Applications/Adobe AIR Installer.app or the AIR version displayed in the installer. You can also check the AIR runtime version by running 'Adobe AIR Application Installer -version' if installed.

Affected if The installed Adobe AIR version is 18.0.0.144 or earlier.
Identify installed Adobe AIR SDK or AIR SDK Compiler version

Check the version information of the AIR SDK installation directory, typically found in the SDK's readme or version file. If using an IDE like Flash Builder or IntelliJ, check the SDK configuration to see which AIR SDK version is referenced.

Affected if The installed Adobe AIR SDK or AIR SDK & Compiler version is 18.0.0.144 or earlier.
Determine if Flash Player browser plugins are active

In web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Edge), navigate to the browser's add-on or plugin manager and verify if Adobe Flash Player is enabled. Check both the enabled status and the specific version reported by the browser.

Affected if Flash Player is enabled in any browser and the version falls within the affected ranges listed in step 1.

Your environment is affected if any installed Adobe Flash Player version is within the affected ranges (including the specific versions listed), or if Adobe AIR, AIR SDK, or AIR SDK Compiler is version 18.0.0.144 or earlier.

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

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 18.0.0.144

Vendor patch helpx.adobe.com →

Interim mitigation

Update Adobe Flash Player to version 13.0.0.302 or later (14.x/18.x to 18.0.0.203+), and Adobe AIR/SDK to version 18.0.0.180 or later. Given the CVSS 10 severity, prioritize urgent patching across all affected endpoints.

Recommended fix High confidence

Flash Player 13.0.0.302+ (13.x branch), 18.0.0.203+ (14.x-18.x branch), or 11.2.202.481+ (Linux); Adobe AIR 18.0.0.180+; Adobe AIR SDK 18.0.0.180+; Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler 18.0.0.180+

1. Identify the installed Adobe Flash Player version by navigating to https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html or checking About in the player
2. Identify the installed Adobe AIR version via Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features or macOS Applications folder
3. For Flash Player: download and install the appropriate fixed version based on your current branch: 13.0.0.302+ for 13.x, or 18.0.0.203+ for 14.x-18.x, or 11.2.202.481+ for Linux
4. For Adobe AIR: download and install version 18.0.0.180 or later from https://get.adobe.com/air/
5. For Adobe AIR SDK/SDK & Compiler: download version 18.0.0.180 or later from https://www.adobe.com/devnet/air/air-sdk-download.html
6. Restart any browsers and applications that use Flash Player or AIR after installation
7. Verify the updated version number matches the fixed release

Caveat Flash Player 13.x reaches end-of-life; consider migrating to 18.x or later branch for continued security updates

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

Fix this in Flash Player Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation2.0 h
Implementation4.0 h
Testing2.0 h
Review / QA1.0 h

9.0 hours of engineering $1,600

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Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-3135 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2015-3135?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

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

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to after 18.0.0.144 or later

Severity 10.0 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 8.2%

Affects: Flash Player

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Flash Player 9 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $1,600

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2015-3135 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check your environment

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.

Scan for this in your stack

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

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References