# CVE-2016-0988: Use after free in n/a

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code via a use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player, requiring users to upgrade to patched versions.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 Mar 2016
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-32v5-69px-96x3, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-0988

## What is CVE-2016-0988?

CVE-2016-0988 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Adobe Air, published on 12 Mar 2016. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.333 and 19.x through 21.x before 21.0.0.182 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.577 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 21.0.0.176, Adobe AIR SDK before 21.0.0.176, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 21.0.0.176 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0987, CVE-2016-0990, CVE-2016-0991, CVE-2016-0994, CVE-2016-0995, CVE-2016-0996, CVE-2016-0997, CVE-2016-0998, CVE-2016-0999, and CVE-2016-1000.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-0988?

It affects 7 products.


Products: Adobe Air, Adobe Air Desktop Runtime, Adobe Air Sdk, Adobe Air Sdk \& Compiler, Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Flash Player Desktop Runtime, Samsung X14j Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-0988?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2016-0988 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-0988 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-2016-0988 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-0988 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Adobe Air, published on 12 Mar 2016. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-0988 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-2016-0988/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-0988/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-0988
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-0988
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-0988

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-0988/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.