CVE-2014-8439
Adobe Flash Player Dereferenced Pointer Vulnerability
Adobe Flash Player
Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.258 and 14.x and 15.x before 15.0.0.239 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.424 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 15.0.0.293, Adobe AIR SDK before 15.0.0.302, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 15.0.0.302 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (invalid pointer dereference) via unspecified vectors.
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 25 May 2022. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 15 June 2022.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 20.4%, which is higher than 97.5% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2014-8439 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2014-8439.
What does CVE-2014-8439 affect?
CVE-2014-8439 affects Adobe Flash Player. Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.258 and 14.x and 15.x before 15.0.0.239 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.424 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 15.0.0.293, Adobe AIR SDK before 15.0.0.302, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 15.0.0.302 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (invalid pointer dereference) via unspecified vectors.
How severe is CVE-2014-8439?
CVE-2014-8439 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 8.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 20.4%, higher than 97.5% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 15 June 2022.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2014-8439?
Apply the vendor patch for Adobe Flash Player as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.