i have a '12 mbp running el cap. today i got message in my browser that i needed to update adobe flashplayer. i clicked through, ran the install program and, without my knowledge or consent (nor so much as a "by your leave"), a 2014 version of a backup program called megabackup ("powered by amazon web services") and a utility that i deleted so quickly that i forgot its name, except that it started with "advance" or "advanced," were both installed and opened when the installation process was finished. neither app appears in my downloads, so it appears to be an integrated part of the flash update.

has anyone else had this unfortunate experience?

is there anything i can do to complain to adobe or elsewhere about including such software without notice or consent in an update?

isn't someone subject to execution, for goodness sake, for this egregious act?

I think that it's a real cheesy move on Adobe's part to pollute their updates with 'Free' BS extras. You really need to watch what you're clicking OK to now a days. And good luck finding a link to complain to. They don't want to hear from you, their customer. Send checks but don't bother us.

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- Jack D.




New tasteless sig coming soon!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2016 06:01PM by Jack D..

I've conditioned myself to maintain eternal vigilance against this on the PC side. My experience has been that it wasn't a concern on the Mac side, but perhaps that's changed.

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It is what it is.

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goodmanx
i have a '12 mbp running el cap. today i got message in my browser that i needed to update adobe flashplayer.

Don't EVER do that - if that message appears, CLOSE IT and go to adobe.com and find the updater from THERE. You've been suckered and let's hope that nothing worse is going on.

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Jack D.
I think that it's a real cheesy move on Adobe's part to pollute their updates with 'Free' BS extras.

Adobe is not doing that.

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goodmanx
today i got message in my browser that i needed to update adobe flashplayer.

It was a fake flash-update alert designed to make you install trojans/adware.

NEVER download Flash from anywhere other than the [get.adobe.com] site or via the Flash Player icon in the System Preferences.

Now run the Malwarebytes scanner.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2016 06:10PM by Onamuji.

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hal
Don't EVER do that - if that message appears, CLOSE IT and go to adobe.com and find the updater from THERE. You've been suckered and let's hope that nothing worse is going on.

this X1000.

The only person that may be subject to execution might be the user... =)

Some of you want to make adobe the bad guy in this, but this was no adobe updater.

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

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Onamuji

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Jack D.
I think that it's a real cheesy move on Adobe's part to pollute their updates with 'Free' BS extras.

Adobe is not doing that.

Oh, yes they are, at least on the PC side. I always download my Flash updates manually from Adobe's web site. During the update, there is one screen that indicates that additional non-Adobe software (Yahoo! and McAfee come to mind) will be installed by default - I have to check the boxes in order for the third-party software to not be installed.

EDIT: I just checked - it's actually during the download process itself that I need to uncheck those boxes. Presumably the Adobe web site will download different installers depending on which boxes are checked on this page.

EDIT #2: Actually, that screenshot is for Adobe Reader, which I just installed by accident (grrrr!!). However, the same options appear on the download page for Flash (which I just downloaded).

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It is what it is.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2016 06:33PM by N-OS X-tasy!.

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N-OS X-tasy!

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Onamuji

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Jack D.
I think that it's a real cheesy move on Adobe's part to pollute their updates with 'Free' BS extras.

Adobe is not doing that.

Oh, yes they are, at least on the PC side.

What is this "PC side" of which you speak?

???

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This is just one of the reasons why I wish flash would die. I would also kind of like to see Adobe die, but there are still some people that use their programs.

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In tha 360. MRF User Map

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hal

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goodmanx
i have a '12 mbp running el cap. today i got message in my browser that i needed to update adobe flashplayer.

Don't EVER do that - if that message appears, CLOSE IT and go to adobe.com and find the updater from THERE. You've been suckered and let's hope that nothing worse is going on.

This. Whatever you clicked on did not come from Adobe. It is a common trick designed to get unwary users to install adware or worse.

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N-OS X-tasy!

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Onamuji

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Jack D.
I think that it's a real cheesy move on Adobe's part to pollute their updates with 'Free' BS extras.

Adobe is not doing that.

Oh, yes they are, at least on the PC side. I always download my Flash updates manually from Adobe's web site. During the update, there is one screen that indicates that additional non-Adobe software (Yahoo! and McAfee come to mind) will be installed by default - I have to check the boxes in order for the third-party software to not be installed.

EDIT: I just checked - it's actually during the download process itself that I need to uncheck those boxes. Presumably the Adobe web site will download different installers depending on which boxes are checked on this page.

EDIT #2: Actually, that screenshot is for Adobe Reader, which I just installed by accident (grrrr!!). However, the same options appear on the download page for Flash (which I just downloaded).

This is EXACTLY the page I was referring to! It may not be happening on the Mac (at least I haven't noticed it) but it is definitely happening on the PC side. This is not something I would expect from a main stream company the size of Adobe. When Apple does it we are all doomed to hell!

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- Jack D.




New tasteless sig coming soon!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2016 06:48PM by Jack D..

Even the Adobe installer for OS X defaults to making Yahoo your search engine and used to include a few other things. At least it did the last time I updated Flash on one of my systems a few months ago. At least most videos I run into now do not require Flash, so I am not getting constant requests to update Flash from more legitimate sites.

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JoeH
Even the Adobe installer for OS X defaults to making Yahoo your search engine and used to include a few other things.

No. It doesn't.

Since 2007 or so, they've been doing it for the PC version.

They're doing it with Reader for Windows.

They tried it with Flash for Mac a couple of years ago and got enough kick from it that they suspended it indefinitely.

The legit Flash plugin installer for Mac will not install malware/adware/toolbars.*


*Not at this time. Subject to change as Adobe cares less about its customers.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2016 06:56PM by Onamuji.

Then tell that to Adobe, it was in the installer I downloaded direct from them and was not for a PC. You get to that point and have to uncheck the choice to finish.

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JoeH
Then tell that to Adobe, it was in the installer I downloaded direct from them and was not for a PC. You get to that point and have to uncheck the choice to finish.

No FLASH plugin installer for Mac downloaded from Adobe will install a Yahoo toolbar or hijack you browser's home page. (At this time.)

If you got adware/malware from your Flash installer for Mac then you did not download it from Adobe.

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...Also, I just installed the latest Acrobat Reader DC today from a fresh download and it did not install anything other than the crummy PDF reader.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2016 07:12PM by Onamuji.

Sheesh…just uninstall the stupid thing. Do you really need it, goodmanx, or do you just think you need it?

I use chrome for flash. Chrome keeps it contained and the barn doors shut. In theory anyway.

If I run into something flash in safari that I just have to watch I'll cut and paste the URL.

Google is supposed to end working with flash in Chrome soon anyway so the flash hangeroners are just going to be forced to adopt html5 or whatever anyway.
Most of the flash vid that I haven't seen because I don't have flash installed has been news sites and I really only wanted to read the text anyway.

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The Phorum Wall keeps us safe from illegal characters and words
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is the knowledge of one's own ignorance. -Benjamin Franklin
BOYCOTT YOPLAIT [www.noyoplait.com]
[soundcloud.com]

Forget the stub installer that Adobe's site now defaults to, even for the Mac client.

Use the old-style full binary installer that doesn't play any games.

http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/latest/help/install_flash_player_osx.dmg

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Article Accelerator
Sheesh…just uninstall the stupid thing. Do you really need it, goodmanx, or do you just think you need it?

I tried, but there ARE places on the web where you do need it. I watch Conan upstairs in my home office while doing paperwork in the evening. No cable box there, so the only way to tune in is on my iMac, passed over to a 42" screen. There are still many places where Flash is the only option.

On a sidenote, why the frack do they update it so often? Not just that, but they *BREAK* the older version so it won't work until you update. That seems uncalled for.

I would love to divorce Flash, but it's still needed for certain things.

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Mr. Lahey: A lot of people, don’t know how to drink. They drink against the grain of the liquor. And when you drink against the grain of the liquor? You lose.

Randy: What the @#$%& are you talking about?

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Rick-o

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Article Accelerator
Sheesh…just uninstall the stupid thing. Do you really need it, goodmanx, or do you just think you need it?

I tried, but there ARE places on the web where you do need it. I watch Conan upstairs in my home office while doing paperwork in the evening. No cable box there, so the only way to tune in is on my iMac, passed over to a 42" screen. There are still many places where Flash is the only option.

On a sidenote, why the frack do they update it so often? Not just that, but they *BREAK* the older version so it won't work until you update. That seems uncalled for.

I would love to divorce Flash, but it's still needed for certain things.

I tried to do without when FireFox 'dropped' support, but I had the same issue - there are some sites that only use flash - if you wanna see it, you gotta have flash. I guess AA is ok with that - it drove me crazy.

But this is buggy software with lots of vulnerability - it NEEDS to be updated often to kill off the latest exploits AND older version have to be killed off to protect the user.

thanx for all your comments and advice.

yes, aa, i think i need it. not sure, tho. the epic browser i use is wonky about playing videos; i'm never sure what will or will not play nor why.

i think y'all're are prob'ly right that i got hijacked and that the upgrade message wasn't really from adobe. i'll certainly be more circumspect in the future.

is there a way to insect the downloaded installer to determine it's source?

For a few years now, I've able to totally ignore flash and its mess. Run that thing Onamuji mentioned, and pray.

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That old man - he don't think like no old man...
Now I wouldn't want to be within 400 - 500 yards of one of them nuclear bombs when it goes off! WW1 Vet Old Man
"He's pinned under an outcropping of rock. Lucky for him, the rock kept the dirt from burying him alive."
If idiots could fly, this place would be an airport. And I'd be a TSA agent.
A bonified member of The Mystic Knights of The Sea, George P. Stevens, President. Andy Brown, Treasurer, Algonquin J. Calhoun, Legal Consultant.

Macintouch and XLR8 Your Mac always promptly announce new Adobe security releases, which are usually Flash updates but often Acrobat as well. I check Macintouch daily, and when I see the news about the latest bandaid for Flash, I use the control panel in system prefs to get the installer. I only have it installed on one or two drives anymore. Unfortunately, my favorite screen saver uses Flash (System 47), so I have had to say goodbye to it, for the most part.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2016 10:49PM by ka jowct.

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goodmanx
thanx for all your comments and advice.

yes, aa, i think i need it. not sure, tho. the epic browser i use is wonky about playing videos; i'm never sure what will or will not play nor why.

i think y'all're are prob'ly right that i got hijacked and that the upgrade message wasn't really from adobe. i'll certainly be more circumspect in the future.

is there a way to insect the downloaded installer to determine it's source?

The source URL of the downloaded file can be seen when you get info on the file

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Onamuji

Adobe is not doing that.

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goodmanx
today i got message in my browser that i needed to update adobe flashplayer.

It was a fake flash-update alert designed to make you install trojans/adware.

NEVER download Flash from anywhere other than the [get.adobe.com] site or via the Flash Player icon in the System Preferences.

Now run the Malwarebytes scanner.

exactly. especially Malwarebytes. Keep you at least a bit more safe.

watch out for fascist pigs!

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!#$@@$#!





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2016 06:59AM by Fritz.

I wouldn't run Flash on my machine anywhere outside of an emulator. No way no how.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future