CVE-2018-4878: A use-after-free vulnerability was discovered in Adobe Flash Player before 28.0.0.161. This vulnerability occurs due to a dangling pointer in the Prim...

Description

A use-after-free vulnerability was discovered in Adobe Flash Player before 28.0.0.161. This vulnerability occurs due to a dangling pointer in the Primetime SDK related to media player handling of listener objects. A successful attack can lead to arbitrary code execution. This was exploited in the wild in January and February 2018.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

89.62%

99.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Exploitation Status

This vulnerability is listed in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. Federal agencies must remediate by May 3, 2022.

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Adobe	Flash Player	< 28.0.0.161
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Desktop	6.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server	6.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Workstation	6.0

References

http://blog.talosintelligence.com/2018/02/group-123-goes-wild.htmlTechnical Description, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/102893Broken Link
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040318Broken Link
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0285Third Party Advisory
https://blog.morphisec.com/flash-exploit-cve-2018-4878-spotted-in-the-wild-massive-malspam-campaignThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/InQuest/malware-samples/tree/master/CVE-2018-4878-Adobe-Flash-DRM-UAF-0dayThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/vysec/CVE-2018-4878Third Party Advisory
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb18-03.htmlVendor Advisory
https://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/hackers-bypassed-adobe-flash-protection-mechanism/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://threatpost.com/adobe-flash-player-zero-day-spotted-in-the-wild/129742/Third Party Advisory
https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/adobe-flash-vulnerability-reappears-in-malicious-word-files/d/d-id/1331139Press/Media Coverage, Third Party Advisory
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44412/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2018/02/attacks-leveraging-adobe-zero-day.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/vulnerabilities-and-exploits/north-korean-hackers-allegedly-exploit-adobe-flash-player-vulnerability-cve-2018-4878-against-south-korean-targetsTechnical Description, Third Party Advisory
http://blog.talosintelligence.com/2018/02/group-123-goes-wild.htmlTechnical Description, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/102893Broken Link
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040318Broken Link
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0285Third Party Advisory
https://blog.morphisec.com/flash-exploit-cve-2018-4878-spotted-in-the-wild-massive-malspam-campaignThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/InQuest/malware-samples/tree/master/CVE-2018-4878-Adobe-Flash-DRM-UAF-0dayThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/vysec/CVE-2018-4878Third Party Advisory
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb18-03.htmlVendor Advisory
https://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/hackers-bypassed-adobe-flash-protection-mechanism/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://threatpost.com/adobe-flash-player-zero-day-spotted-in-the-wild/129742/Third Party Advisory
https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/adobe-flash-vulnerability-reappears-in-malicious-word-files/d/d-id/1331139Press/Media Coverage, Third Party Advisory
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44412/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2018/02/attacks-leveraging-adobe-zero-day.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/vulnerabilities-and-exploits/north-korean-hackers-allegedly-exploit-adobe-flash-player-vulnerability-cve-2018-4878-against-south-korean-targetsTechnical Description, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/cisagov/vulnrichment/issues/196Issue Tracking
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-4878Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource

Timeline

Published: Feb 6, 2018
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-4878?

A use-after-free vulnerability was discovered in Adobe Flash Player before 28.0.0.161. This vulnerability occurs due to a dangling pointer in the Primetime SDK related to media player handling of listener objects. A successful attack can lead to arbitrary code execution. This was exploited in the wild in January and February 2018.

How severe is CVE-2018-4878?

CVE-2018-4878 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 89.62% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

How do I fix CVE-2018-4878?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

How Strix Helps

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