CVE-2016-1096 in Flash Player
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player 21.0.0.213 and earlier, as used in the Adobe Flash libraries in Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 and 11 and Microsoft Edge, has unknown impact and attack vectors, a different vulnerability than other CVEs listed in MS16-064.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2026
This unspecified vulnerability exists within Adobe Flash Player version 21.0.0.213 and earlier implementations that are integrated into Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 and 11 browser environments as well as Microsoft Edge browser. The vulnerability represents a distinct security flaw separate from other issues documented in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS16-064, indicating that it operates outside the scope of previously identified Flash-related vulnerabilities. The lack of specific details regarding impact and attack vectors suggests this represents a complex security issue that may involve multiple exploitation pathways or require sophisticated attack techniques to leverage effectively.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the inherent complexity of Flash Player's architecture and its integration with web browsers. Flash Player's ActionScript virtual machine and multimedia processing capabilities create numerous potential entry points for malicious actors to exploit memory corruption issues, buffer overflows, or other execution-based vulnerabilities. When Flash Player is embedded within Internet Explorer 10 and 11 or Microsoft Edge, the vulnerability can potentially be triggered through malicious web content that leverages the Flash runtime environment. The vulnerability may reside in the parsing of Flash content, the handling of multimedia streams, or the interaction between Flash Player and the host browser's security model.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple browser compromise, potentially enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems with the privileges of the user running the vulnerable browser. This type of vulnerability represents a significant risk in enterprise environments where users may encounter malicious Flash content through various attack vectors including phishing emails, compromised websites, or drive-by downloads. The vulnerability's presence in both Internet Explorer 10 and 11 versions indicates it affects legacy browser environments that may still be in use within organizations, creating extended attack surfaces for threat actors targeting older systems. The fact that this vulnerability is separate from MS16-064 suggests it may involve different exploitation techniques or underlying architectural weaknesses within Flash Player's codebase.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through Adobe Flash Player updates to versions beyond 21.0.0.213, though the specific nature of the vulnerability makes comprehensive patching challenging. Organizations should implement additional protective measures including browser hardening techniques, content filtering solutions, and user education regarding safe browsing practices. The vulnerability's unspecified nature makes traditional exploit prevention techniques less effective, requiring more comprehensive security approaches such as network segmentation, application whitelisting, and monitoring for anomalous Flash Player behavior. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability would likely map to multiple techniques including execution through web browsers, privilege escalation, and potentially defense evasion through obfuscation of malicious Flash content. The vulnerability also aligns with CWE categories related to memory safety issues and software vulnerabilities in multimedia processing components, making it particularly dangerous in environments where Flash content remains prevalent despite its declining support and security risks.