Microsoft puts Windows 8 users at risk with missing Flash update

Last month, Adobe released a batch of critical security updates for Flash Player. Those updates are available for every modern browser except one. Microsoft has yet to release the update for IE 10 in Windows 8, and may not do so until next month.

Read more at source:
Microsoft puts Windows 8 users at risk with missing Flash update | ZDNet

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Thanks for the article on the update, Ex_Brit. That's good to know.

 

[Ex_Brit]

You're very welcome ;-)

 

[lmod]

After I deleted NPSWF64_11_4_402_265.dll FF complained that the plugin was missing, I re-installed it without issues, but it doesn't appear in C:\Windows\System32\Macromed or in the (now empty) Flash sub-folder.
Glad that MS is about to issue upgrades - I wonder if that will occur if the the DLL is unregistered and deleted, and the Add-on management "Turn off Adobe Flash in Internet Explorer and prevent applications from using Internet Explorer technology to instantiate Flash objects" is still set to Enable.

 

[Ex_Brit]

That I don't know, sorry. You might want to post a new thread under 'Browsers and Mail'.

 

[Giga Hawk]

Pardon my ignorance but is there a problem using Revo Uninstaller in advanced mode to remove Flash Player? Revo also removes all registry entries and cleans up any left over program fragments not removed by the Adobe uninstaller ... including add ons in IE10.

I am not familiar with that application but you will want to remove flash player completely only if you plan on never installing it again. For instance. Chrome comes with it's own flash version and doesn't need any other installations of flash.

Doing the steps as described above, there will be traces left. In the control panel and perhaps in the registry as well. That is fine as I don't want the unsafe flash version to be executed, via Internet Explorer or otherwise. (Note: Look for the source of the flaw and you will find that the malicious flash code was found in a Word file. Merely deactivating the plugin in Internet Explorer, what most websites suggest, is not going to help in such a case.) The only safe temporary solution is to delete the files.

However, when the update comes I would like to install it and have flash running again. I'd therefore recommend against using a third party tool that erases each and every trace of flash as I might not be able to undo the steps if need be.

I just posted an update on this issue I spotted in my ZDNet newsletter: http://www.eightforums.com/windows-...ver-flash-update-windows-8-users-shortly.html

Thank you for the update!

After I deleted NPSWF64_11_4_402_265.dll FF complained that the plugin was missing, I re-installed it without issues, but it doesn't appear in C:\Windows\System32\Macromed or in the (now empty) Flash sub-folder.
Glad that MS is about to issue upgrades - I wonder if that will occur if the the DLL is unregistered and deleted, and the Add-on management "Turn off Adobe Flash in Internet Explorer and prevent applications from using Internet Explorer technology to instantiate Flash objects" is still set to Enable.

I installed Flash (for Firefox) from here and the NPSWF64_11_4_402_265.dll and other files did go into that folder: %windir%\System32\Macromed\Flash

 

[Giga Hawk]

There is an update out there for the Flash Player.

Microsoft Security Advisory: Update for Vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player in Internet Explorer 10

Release Date: September 21, 2012

 

[Ex_Brit]

Windows Update offered me it a few hours ago.

 

[Giga Hawk]

Let's see what the update does. It is about 16 MB in size.



If you have purged flash the hard way like I did, don't worry. The update will reinstall it again.

Just make sure that your computer policy has the following not enabled

Turn off Adobe Flash in Internet Explorer and prevent applications from using Internet Explorer technology to instantiate Flash objects

A restart is required.

%windir%\System32\Macromed\Flash

C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash>dir
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 34E7-E963
Directory of C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash
21.09.2012 23:59 <DIR> .
21.09.2012 23:59 <DIR> ..
18.09.2012 04:25 12.974.432 Flash.ocx
10.09.2012 14:54 6.314 FlashInstall.log
18.09.2012 04:25 523.104 FlashUtil_ActiveX.dll
18.09.2012 04:25 430.432 FlashUtil_ActiveX.exe
4 File(s) 13.934.282 bytes
2 Dir(s) 20.334.694.400 bytes free
C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash>

FlashInstall.log

=O====== M/11.4.402.265 2012-09-10+12-03-07.567 ========
0000 00000010 "C:\Users\GigaHawk\AppData\Local\Temp\{E57F850D-C292-4511-AA37-F6F044B25CDB}\InstallFlashPlayer.exe" -install -skipARPEntry -iv 1 -au 4294967295
0001 [W] 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/Version 2
0002 [W] 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2
0003 [W] 00001037 SOFTWARE\MozillaPlugins\@adobe.com/FlashPlayer/ 2
0004 [W] 00001037 SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Adobe Flash Player Plugin/ 2
0005 [W] 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Last CommandLine 2
0006 [W] 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Last CommandLine 2
0007 [W] 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Plugin Path 2
0008 [W] 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Plugin Path 2
0009 00000014 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\NPSWF64_11_4_402_265.dll
0010 00000015 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil64_11_4_402_265_Plugin.exe
=X====== M/11.4.402.265 2012-09-10+12-03-08.708 ========
=O====== M/11.4.402.265 2012-09-10+12-22-55.019 ========
0000 00000010 "C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil64_11_4_402_265_Plugin.exe"
=X====== M/11.4.402.265 2012-09-10+12-22-59.193 ========
=O====== M/11.4.402.265 2012-09-10+12-38-59.136 ========
0000 00000010 "C:\Users\GigaHawk\AppData\Local\Temp\{6850B3C3-3CB9-4EA1-BCC4-E2E6C6FE9EAD}\InstallFlashPlayer.exe" -install -skipARPEntry -iv 1 -au 4294967295
0001 00000020 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl
0002 [W] 00001037 SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Adobe Flash Player Plugin/ 2
0003 [W] 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Last CommandLine 2
0004 [W] 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Last CommandLine 2
0005 [W] 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Plugin Path 2
0006 [W] 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Plugin Path 2
0007 00000014 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\NPSWF64_11_4_402_265.dll
0008 00000015 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil64_11_4_402_265_Plugin.exe
0009 00000019 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl
=X====== M/11.4.402.265 2012-09-10+12-39-00.497 ========
=O====== M/11.4.402.265 2012-09-10+12-54-46.977 ========
0000 00000010 "C:\Users\GigaHawk\AppData\Local\Temp\{FB054FDC-4EE8-46E8-9502-744DC38217E2}\InstallFlashPlayer.exe" -uninstall plugin
0001 [W] 00001037 SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Adobe Flash Player Plugin/ 2
0002 [W] 00001037 Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce/FlashPlayerUpdate 2
0003 [W] 00001037 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/ 2
0004 [W] 00001037 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayer/FlashPlayerVersion 2
0005 [W] 00001037 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayer/SwfInstall 2
0006 [W] 00001021
0007 [W] 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerActiveX/UninstallerPath 2
0008 [W] 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2
0009 [W] 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Last CommandLine 2
0010 [W] 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Last CommandLine 2
0011 [W] 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Plugin Path 2
0012 [W] 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Plugin Path 2
=X====== M/11.4.402.265 2012-09-10+12-54-47.031 ========

FLash.ocx
Version 11.3.374.7



FlashUtil_ActiveX.dll
Version 11.3.374.7



The Plugin in Internet Explorer
Shockwave Flash Object
Version 11.4.402.265



Let's check out the Flash Player version

You have version 11,3,374,7 installed

So what do we have? A Flash version that is slightly out of sync with Adobe's version but it is supposed to have the latest security fixes?
Adobe Flash ActiveX Plugin: 11.4.402.278
Windows 8 Flash ActiveX Plugin: 11.4.402.265

Windows 8's version is lower. Can we feel comfortable about using Flash in Windows 8 again?

 

[lmod]

I reset the following, and copied back the Flash entries I had deleted from \\\Macromed\Flash before installing the update. All went well for me.

1) gpedit.msc
Computer Configuration-->Administrative Templates-->Windows Components-->Internet Explorer-->Security Features-->Add-on Management
Set "Turn off Adobe Flash in Internet Explorer and prevent applications from using Internet Explorer technology to instantiate Flash objects" to Disabled.

2) gpedit.msc
User Configuration-->Administrative Templates-->Windows Components-->Internet Explorer-->Security Features-->Add-on Management
Set "Turn off Adobe Flash in Internet Explorer and prevent applications from using Internet Explorer technology to instantiate Flash objects" to Disabled.

 

[Phone Man]

So what do we have? A Flash version that is slightly out of sync with Adobe's version but it is supposed to have the latest security fixes?
Adobe Flash ActiveX Plugin: 11.4.402.278
Windows 8 Flash ActiveX Plugin: 11.4.402.265

Windows 8's version is lower. Can we feel comfortable about using Flash in Windows 8 again?

I don't understand this quote.
When I did the Update in Windows 8 the IE-10 Flash Add-On went from 11.3.372.94 to 11.3.374.7.

Jim

 

[lmod]

If you look in the FlashInstall.log you'll see the reference to version 11.4.402.265.
I don't understand the difference between that and the version shown on the property sheets. Giga Hawk showed that discrepancy in his property sheet captures which show the same details as I have.