Latest Adobe Flash vulnerability appears in exploit kits

Adobe Flash hit with zero day vulnerability again

The latest zero-day vulnerability affecting Adobe's Flash Player has ended up in online exploit kits.

M any, many zero-day flaws exist for Flash Player, but the latest discovered by security firm FireEye, is already being used in Magnitude and Angler EK exploit kits, as discovered by threat researcher Kafeine of Malware Don't Need Coffee.

The bug AKA CVE-2015-3113 - has already been patched by Adobe, and the fix can be downloaded from the company's website, but users must act fast so they don't fall victim to hackers armed with the malware kits.

The latest in an increasingly long string of Flash Player security holes, the bug has already targeted Internet Explorer for Windows 7 and below, and Firefox for Windows XP, according to reports.

Adobe has designated its patch a high priority, but Linux is classified as a slightly lower risk.

However, flaws like this are becoming more and more common for Adobe Flash, and some security experts are suggesting that it would be wiser to simply ditch the software altogether.

Analyst Brian Krebs wrote in a blog post that "it might be worth considering whether you really need to keep Flash Player installed at all", stating that he barely missed it after foregoing the common plug-in for a month.

Mark James, security specialist at IT security firm ESET, called Adobe Flash "one of the most targeted apps for vulnerability". He added: "If you want to affect as many people as possible then you need an application that a lot of users use and Flash is one of them".

Security firm Bromium's Clinton Karr noted that this newest exploit "illustrates why internet content is so untrustworthy". He called it "a greenfield for hackers with no end in sight".

The consensus among the security community is that these patches should be deployed as soon as possible, but given the increasing frequency with which they are required, it seems like it may not be long before Adobe's Flash Player is a bigger risk than it is a benefit.

Adam Shepherd has been a technology journalist since 2015, covering everything from cloud storage and security, to smartphones and servers. Over the course of his career, he’s seen the spread of 5G, the growing ubiquity of wireless devices, and the start of the connected revolution. He’s also been to more trade shows and technology conferences than he cares to count.

Adam is an avid follower of the latest hardware innovations, and he is never happier than when tinkering with complex network configurations, or exploring a new Linux distro. He was also previously a co-host on the ITPro Podcast, where he was often found ranting about his love of strange gadgets, his disdain for Windows Mobile, and everything in between.

You can find Adam tweeting about enterprise technology (or more often bad jokes) @AdamShepherUK.

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