CVE-2009-0520

Exp

Adobe Flash Player 9.x before 9.0.159.0 and 10.x before 10.0.22.87 does not properly remove references to destroyed objects during Shockwave Flash file processing, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted file, related to a "buffer overflow issue."

Published: 2009-02-26 Last update: 2026-04-23 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2009-0520 is rated High Exploit Risk (91.5/100): CVSS Critical severity, with high exploitation likelihood (EPSS 28.48%, 98th percentile). Core evidence: 1 public exploit reference(s) are indexed (Exploit-DB). EPSS rose +6.31% over the last day, indicating growing attacker interest. Mandatory action: Public exploits are available—assess exposure, apply mitigations, and prioritize patching.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Public exploit references (Exploit-DB) for CVE-2009-0520

EDB-ID Source Kind Published Link
32811 exploit_db edb 2009-02-24 Exploit-DB ↗

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2009-0520

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 22.17% 28.48% +6.31%
2 2026-04-18 12.50% 22.17% +9.67%
3 2025-09-21 12.50%

Full EPSS history (17 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2009-0520

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
9.3 2.0 HIGH
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:M)
Exploitation needs some favorable conditions, but not exceptional ones.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:C)
Complete confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:C)
Complete integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:C)
Complete availability impact.
8.6 10.0 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2009-0520

OS Trackers for CVE-2009-0520

vendor priority summary link
gentoo normal CVE-2009-0520: 1 GLSA(s) (200903-23), 1 atom(s) (www-plugins/adobe-flash); latest impact normal. https://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=CVE-2009-0520
redhat critical https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2009-0520
ubuntu medium CVE-2009-0520 medium priority: Ubuntu including 2 source packages (adobe-flashplugin, flashplugin-nonfree), 14 status rows across 7 suites (dapper, gutsy, hardy, intrepid, jaunty, karmic, upstream): released 10, not-affected 2, DNE 1, ignored 1. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2009-0520

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2009-0520

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
adobe air 1.5 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:air:1.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player <= 10.0.12.36 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 7.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 7.0.1 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:7.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 7.0.25 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:7.0.25:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 7.0.63 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:7.0.63:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 7.0.63 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:7.0.63:*:linux:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 7.0.69.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:7.0.69.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 7.0.70.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:7.0.70.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 7.1 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:7.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 7.1.1 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:7.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 7.2 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 8.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 8.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:8.0:*:basic:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 8.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:8.0:*:pro:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 8.0.24.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:8.0.24.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 8.0.34.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:8.0.34.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 8.0.35.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:8.0.35.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 8.0.39.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:8.0.39.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.16 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.20 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.20.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.20.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.28 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.28:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.28.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.28.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.31.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.31.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.45.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.45.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.47.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.47.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.48.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.48.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.112.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.112.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.114.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.114.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.115.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.115.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 9.0.124.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:9.0.124.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 10.0.0.584 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:10.0.0.584:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player 10.0.12.10 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:10.0.12.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player cs3 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:cs3:*:pro:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player cs4 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:cs4:*:pro:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player_for_linux <= 10.0.15.3 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player_for_linux:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flex 3.0 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flex:3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2009-0520

URL Tags
http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=5929 Patch
http://labs.idefense.com/intelligence/vulnerabilities/display.php?id=773
http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2009/May/msg00002.html
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2009-0332.html
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2009-0334.html
http://secunia.com/advisories/34012
http://secunia.com/advisories/34226
http://secunia.com/advisories/34293
http://secunia.com/advisories/35074
http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200903-23.xml
http://securitytracker.com/id?1021750
http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-66-254909-1
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3549
http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-01.html Patch Vendor Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/33880 Patch
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-133A.html US Government Resource
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/0513 Patch
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/0743
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/1297
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=487142
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/48887
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A16057
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A6593
cvelogic Threat Intelligence