Adobe Admits Flash Has a Huge Security Flaw on All Platforms
Adobe has admitted that it has a huge security problem with its current version of Flash that could allow a hacker to take complete control of your system. It looks like Apple CEO Steve Jobs was right when he called Flash buggy and full of security holes. Surprise!
So what devices are affected? Well all of them really. Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Solaris and Android are all vulnerable. From Adobe’s site: “A critical vulnerability exists in Adobe Flash Player 10.1.82.76 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Solaris and Android…This vulnerability could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. There are reports that this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild against Flash Player on Windows.”
Something tells me that part of the reason as to why the BlackBerry has not seen its own version of Flash yet is not just due to its current hardware limitations. What company in its right mind would run a BlackBerry Enterprise System (BES), have sensitive corporate documents on its BlackBerrys, and let its users install Flash? Steve Jobs might have his own personal vendetta against Adobe at the moment, but anyone else wonder if a jailbreak is possible through exploiting the flaws in Flash?
I wonder how long until smartphone users will have to start using antivirus software on their devices to keep themselves safe. The malware, spyware and viruses are sure to be coming at faster and faster paces. The security features inherent in iOS, BlackBerry OS and Android really cannot do anything if you run infected software and use web content that can load its own data and code.
So, smartphone users sound off.
Android users: liking how Flash is running for you on Froyo?
BlackBerry users: will you use Flash if it does eventually come to your platform?
iOS users: maybe Steve Jobs is not as crazy as everyone thinks, regardless of whether or not he really was caught boarding his private plane in Japan with ninja stars. (Google that one if you haven’t heard about it.)
I don’t know how much longer the world can suffer through Adobe’s Flash nightmare. On that note, back to watching Hulu…
Tags: android flash, blackberry flash, adobe flash, iOS flash


Flash is running fine for me on HTC EVO 4G.
On another note…
If the Rupert Murdochs of the world have their way, all magazine & newspaper content will soon be behind paywalls. Sadly, all publishing that remains free– like this blog–may be written by people with little or no professional experience in journalism or interest in objectivity. Online coverage of Adobe Flash is just the tip of the iceberg for the new electronic Yellow Journalism.
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This article is total sensationalism, and frankly, if I worked for Adobe, I might very well put my legal on you.
- Does not cite the precise Adobe “admission”.
- Cites Blackberry as ONLY not having Flash because of security (false).
- Fails to mention that AJAX based technologies, which will support data exchange in HTML5, have been found to have security holes of all kinds.
- Fails to mention what, exactly, the exploit is, so that users can defend; implies the ONLY way to avoid it is to uninstall Flash.
- Fails to mention that Adobe is diligent about updates.
Pointless article meant to do nothing but bolster S. Jobs loyalty and his vendetta against Adobe. No valuable technical info.
Crap.
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All the major browsers regularly offer updates with security patches. For some reason these security issues get less attention. Example Firefox 3.6.9 plugged up a whole dealing with clickjacking, an issue that originally came up in 2008. The attention was on Flash which they offered a patch a few weeks later, while the security hole remained on many browsers.
Do a google search for “iOS browser security update” and see the many times that Apple released security updates. In Steve Job’s rant against Flash he mentions a specific survey that criticizes Flash for it’s security holes, ignoring the fact that the same survey rates QuickTime worst off with more security issues in 2009.
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Anonymous Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
@Matthew Fabb,
Couldn’t of said it better myself Matthew. This hatred of Flash is ridiculous……
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