# CVE-2016-0959: Use after free in n/a

> A use-after-free flaw in Adobe Flash Player allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via malicious content.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 Jun 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xhrc-66pf-63mr, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-0959

## What is CVE-2016-0959?

CVE-2016-0959 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Adobe Air, published on 27 Jun 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Use after free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player Desktop Runtime before 20.0.0.267, Adobe Flash Player Extended Support Release before 18.0.0.324, Adobe Flash Player for Google Chrome before 20.0.0.267, Adobe Flash Player for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11 before 20.0.0.267, Adobe Flash Player for Internet Explorer 10 and 11 before 20.0.0.267, Adobe Flash Player for Linux before 11.2.202.559, AIR Desktop Runtime before 20.0.0.233, AIR SDK before 20.0.0.233, AIR SDK & Compiler before 20.0.0.233, AIR for Android before 20.0.0.233.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-0959?

It affects 6 products.


Products: Adobe Air, Adobe Air Sdk, Adobe Air Sdk \& Compiler, Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Flash Player Extended Support Release, Adobe Flash Player for Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-0959?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2016-0959 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-0959 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Adobe Air

- [CVE-2016-1010](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1010/): Adobe Flash Player and AIR Integer Overflow (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-8651](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-8651/): Adobe Flash Player Integer Overflow (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2014-8439](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-8439/): Adobe Flash Player Dereferenced Pointer (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2012-2034](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2034/): Adobe Flash Player Memory Corruption (high 7.5, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-8459](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-8459/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-0959 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-0959 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Adobe Air, published on 27 Jun 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-0959 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Adobe Air. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-0959/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-0959/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-0959
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-0959
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-0959

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-0959/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.