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Yet another “critical” Flash vulnerability allows an attacker to take control of your Mac – fix available

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Adobe has announced the latest in a long line of “critical” Flash vulnerabilities, allowing an attacker to take control of your Mac. The same vulnerability has been found in Adobe AIR. The company has released updates for both, which we recommend you install immediately.

Adobe has released security updates for Adobe Flash Player.  These updates address critical vulnerabilities that could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.

Adobe is aware of a report that an exploit for CVE-2016-1010 is being used in limited, targeted attacks.

You can update from the link below …

To update your version of Flash, visit Adobe’s update page and hit the ‘Install now’ button. As ever, of course, only ever install updates directly from Adobe.

Apple often acts to block vulnerable versions of Flash in Safari, and is likely to do the same here, but that isn’t an instant process.

Steve Jobs famously penned an essay in 2010 on why he would not allow Flash to run on iOS devices. Six years later, this bug-ridden platform still refuses to die …

Image: BFN

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Comments

  1. This is why you don’t install flash… useless technology.

  2. Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

    A couple years ago I finally just said F-it and removed Flash from every Mac we own. If a site insists on using Flash then they’re obviously so backwards that I don’t need to see what they have to offer.

    • Ben Lovejoy - 8 years ago

      Yeah, I’ve often been tempted to do the same.

      • inferno10 - 8 years ago

        Click2Flash is a great plugin if you need Flash on your Mac!

      • Ben Lovejoy - 8 years ago

        Yes, I use that, which handily flags up how often Flash is still needed. It’s a lot less than it used to be, but news sites seem to be the laggards.

      • dcj001 - 8 years ago

        I uninstalled Flash a couple of years ago too. I got tired of the periodic reported threats and needing to update Flash often. As step 2 of my solution, I installed the “Open in Chrome” Safari extension. When the toolbar button is used on a website that uses Flash, or when the Control-click open is used, the website that is in Safari magically opens in Chrome, which always updates with the most recent update of Flash.

        The “Open in Chrome” Safari extension is available here:

        https://github.com/lhagan/Open-in-Chrome

        There is a corresponding ChromeHelper app which needs to be stored on the drive. If you have multiple Macs, you can keep this ChromeHelper app in iCloud drive, Dropbox, etc.

    • samanthamd - 8 years ago

      I upgraded my MacBook last September. I never installed Flash and never will.
      It really is time for sites to stop using Flash once and for all.

  3. Howie Isaacks - 8 years ago

    Again, another vulnerability. How many security issues do we have to have before web developers stop using this piece of crap technology?

  4. Paul Van Obberghen - 8 years ago

    No Flash on my Macs for a couple a years now. No regrets.

  5. Haven’t installed flash in years… curiously, I don’t miss it.

  6. Grayson Mixon - 8 years ago

    You’ve been busy this morning, Ben. Did you get stuck minding the office while everyone else is on Spring Break?

  7. Dbolander - 8 years ago

    I’m sure the FBI and DOJ relish more vulnerabilities like this. Makes the mass data harvesting all the easier for them.

  8. Scott Hilt (@scotthilt) - 8 years ago

    Just reconfirms my decision to not install Flash on my systems.

  9. Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

    Actually what bugs me are the sites that do not require Flash when I go there on my iPad, but do on my Mac. I mean come on, you already have the material converted for mobile users, you’re three quarters of the way there. Just pull the bloody plug, (I’m talking to you BBC).

  10. Mark - 8 years ago

    Many sites will make you use Flash, even when they don’t need to (CNN is one of them for example). You can use the developer menu in Safari to make the site think you’re an iPad and magically all the videos use HTML5, with less power usage.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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