RATANKBA: Delving into Large-scale Watering Holes
While the URL acts similarly to how eye-watch[.]in:443 delivers payloads, we also saw the URL leveraging and exploiting security flaws in Flash: CVE-2015-8651, CVE-2016-1019, and CVE-2016-4117.
CVE-2015-8651 KEV High · 8.8 EPSS 67.7%
Adobe Flash Player Integer Overflow Vulnerability
Adobe · Flash Player
Summary
Adobe Flash Player contains an integer overflow flaw (CWE-189, Integer Overflow or Wraparound) in versions before 18.0.0.324, 19.x and 20.x before 20.0.0.267 on Windows and OS X, and before 11.2.202.559 on Linux, and the same flaw is present in Adobe AIR, Adobe AIR SDK, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 20.0.0.233. An attacker can execute arbitrary code over the network without authentication, but the attack requires user interaction, such as the victim opening crafted content.
Official description · NVD
Integer overflow in Adobe Flash Player before 18.0.0.324 and 19.x and 20.x before 20.0.0.267 on Windows and OS X and before 11.2.202.559 on Linux, Adobe AIR before 20.0.0.233, Adobe AIR SDK before 20.0.0.233, and Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler before 20.0.0.233 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
Priority scorePatchfirst’s 0 to 100 ranking. It adds points for CISA KEV listing, ransomware use, EPSS, threat reports, public exploit code and CVSS. Every CVE page shows the breakdown. Breakdown
81.8 / 100
- Exploited
- Yes, in CISA KEV
- Reports
- 3
- Tactics
- 3/15
How an attack unfolds
Based on MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. mappings. Select a step to see the evidence.Exploitation timelineDated milestones for a CVE: when it was disclosed, when exploit code became public, when exploitation was confirmed, and when threat reports named it.
First seen exploited the day it was disclosed.
- Named in a threat reporttrendmicro.com+14 mo
- Added to CISA KEVEU database agrees+6 yrs
CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.
MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. techniques
3 TechniqueOne specific attacker behaviour in MITRE ATT&CK, such as T1190 “Exploit Public-Facing Application”. IDs with a dot, like T1059.004, are sub-techniques., grouped by TacticThe attacker’s goal at a stage of an attack in MITRE ATT&CK, such as Initial Access or Persistence. Each technique belongs to one or more tactics. in kill-chain order 3Initial AccessTA0001
Drive-by Compromise T1189
MITRE CTID mapping of the KEV entry · how it is exploited
This vulnerability is exploited with maliciously-crafted code hosted on a website via drive-by compromise. It has been seen used in the wild by exploit kits whose goal is frequently to load ransomware onto the target machine.
Command and ControlTA0011
Ingress Tool Transfer T1105
MITRE CTID mapping of the KEV entry · primary impact
ImpactTA0040
MITRE CTID mapping of the KEV entry · follow-on activity
Detection
0 rules for this CVE · 107 general rules for its techniquesRules for this CVE
0Sigma ruleAn open, vendor-neutral detection rule for log data. Security teams convert Sigma rules into searches for their own SIEM. that reference CVE-2015-8651 directly.CVE-specific rules are not available in this build. Search SigmaHQ ↗
General rules for this CVE’s techniques
These detect the technique in general, not this specific vulnerability.
Drive-by CompromiseT11893 general rules
Ingress Tool TransferT110587 general rules
- Greenbug Espionage Group Indicatorscriticaltest
- Pandemic Registry Keycriticaltest
- Curl Download And Execute Combinationhightest
- File Download And Execution Via IEExec.EXEhightest
- File Download From IP Based URL Via CertOC.EXEhightest
- File Download Using Notepad++ GUP Utilityhightest
- File Download Via Bitsadmin To A Suspicious Target Folderhightest
- File Download Via Windows Defender MpCmpRun.EXEhightest
Data Encrypted for ImpactT148617 general rules
- LockerGoga Ransomware Activitycriticalstable
- Antivirus - Ransomware Signaturecriticaltest
- Potential Conti Ransomware Activitycriticaltest
- WannaCry Ransomware Activitycriticaltest
- BlueSky Ransomware Artefactshightest
- Load Of RstrtMgr.DLL By A Suspicious Processhightest
- Renamed Gpg.EXE Executionhightest
- Suspicious Reg Add BitLockerhightest
Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.
What security researchers reported
Named in 3 threat reports3 reportsTrend Microservices.google.comMicrosoftFeb 2017 · 2 undated
Reports are matched by finding the exact id CVE-2015-8651 in their text; nobody has reviewed the match. One passage is shown per report, at most 320 characters, linked to the original.
34273894723094830293843427389472309483029384
Mentions the CVE; no further detail.
Microsoft Security
Mentions the CVE; no further detail.
3 passages name itOriginal (opens in a new tab) ↗
Also mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)
Weaker evidencePulses are indicator collections that anyone can publish. A mention is not confirmation of exploitation.
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 202628 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 202627 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 202626 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 202623 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 202622 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 202621 Oct 2026
- 44 more on OTX