New security bulletin MS16-083 / KB 3167685 – Adobe Flash Player

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Microsoft just released a patch for Win 8.1 and 10 systems that covers all of the security patches in Adobe’s ASPB16-18, a mammoth list. MS16-083 / KB
[See the full post at: New security bulletin MS16-083 / KB 3167685 – Adobe Flash Player]

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Not sure what’s going on, but Flash within Firefox has been crashing for me since the .420 update and a Flash update that was delivered to my systems today (Flash 22.0.0.192).

Reverting to an earlier Flash didn’t help, nor did installing this new MS patch.

It acts like a typical Flash crash, but the “unresponsive plugin” popup doesn’t show the name of the plugin and it dismisses itself before you can click anything.

I hate Flash.

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Sorry for this test of the comment system. I have tried to post a comment repeatedly, and I get the response : “Not Found. Sorry, but you are looking for something that is not here.” Is there a length limit, or other rules ?

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Do you use Firefox 64-bit or 32-bit? I had crashes on 64-bit and reverted to 32-bit. It has been stable since then. I use Firefox all the time as preferred browser.

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@woody
“Of course, I’ve been railing against Flash for a decade. Don’t use it, disable it everywhere. If you see a site that needs Flash, write a Nastygram to the web folks.”

Please start with bbc.com and good luck.

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Ah, the Beeb.

Perhaps Dr Who can chime in?

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No rules I’m aware of. If you can’t get a comment posted directly, email me with the comment.

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I hated Flash until I removed it system-wide (IE’s ActiveX and “other browsers” plugin) in August 2015. I removed it not because I’ve always been told to get rid of hatred but because it appeared to me as old, cumbersome and above all sticked to problems as a fly to … Hum, anyway the computer is far cleaner now without that darn fly and my life has changed ever since (music, maestro!).
Joke aside, a device Flash-free is far better, HTML5 is the reference now and runs well when it is ran which is unfortunately not the will of all websites, those lacking energy or those who believe that they will loose customers if they abandon Flash keep a foot in the past and one day or another will split where it hurts. I just ignore those places, and enjoy those who participate to modern times, mentalities and tools.

Dave Fox : try the browsers without Flash and you’ll free yourself of hatred, believe me

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Doctor who?
BBC and, here in France it equivalent, France Televisions, reluctant to move on to HTML5. I can understand small sites, companies not moving towards progress but BBC, France televisions (and several other “majors”) is frightening.

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I tried 64-bit FF when v42.0 (first one, I believe) was released. Nothing but a disaster, starting with several add-ons which ceased to function. Many settings and customizations were borked, so that turned into an immediate reversion.

Also, FF-64 installed into C:Program Files (x86), which is wrong, as the link below notes.

Went back to 32-bit v39.0 (released July 2015). Flash Player is back to working fine (well, as fine as it can), my add-ons all work flawlessly, and “Never check for updates” (for FF) is set.

https://www.404techsupport.com/2015/12/tell-firefox-32-64/

Staying with v39.0 until there is a compelling reason to change. Kinda like Win 7.

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The only use I had for Flash was the NOAA radar loops. However, at least for the western states, there’s a good alternative:
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/map/

Radar loops seem to use HTML5.

For those who’d rather update Flash directly, the following link works:
https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

I haven’t been using Flash, but keep a current copy for Pale Moon. It’s set to “never activate”.

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It’s not so easy to lecture website operators. I rely on a couple who could tell the world to shove it if they wanted to. They use Flash. I rely on Flashblock to provide what protection it can.

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There’s always Flash 18 ESR (extended support release) version that came out along with Flash 22. Latest Flash 18 ESR is v18.0.0.360 which can be downloaded here.

I’m using Firefox 47.0 (win64) on Win7 SP1 and no crashes so far with either Flash Player v18.0.0.360 and v22.0.0.192.

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I use Firefox ESR now 32-bit. The latest versions are reliable I would say, no need to stay with v39, 32-bit is still available with the new versions.
Removing most plugins was “by design” in the 64-bit version, Flash being the exception due to it being still in wide use. As we noticed though, the implementation was either faulty or maybe too restrictive to be useful. There are instructions of how to disable sandboxing for Flash on Firefox 64-bit, however it is not worth the effort and is far better to stay with a fully supported, fully working 32-bit version without any dubious hacks applied.

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We had Firefox ESR for a while, then Windows LTSB, Citrix LTSB and now Flash ESR?! Thanks for the information.

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HTML5 may be the reference now, but you have to convince a lot of mainstream sites about this. Cannot get rid of Flash yet if you need the computer to do anything remotely useful, at least now and then.

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Am I missing something? The KB from Microsoft says that this update is for Flash for IE10 and IE11. It didn’t say anything about other browsers, like Firefox.

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Adobe releases updates for Firefox. IE and Edge run Flash natively, so updates have to come from Microsoft.

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Search for ActiveX Flash — You can get the ActiveX version of Flash through Adobe. You can also have IE11 running without Flash installed.

Fun fact: The crapware option in the downloader offered to give me a copy of Chrome with my ActiveX Flash and to make it the default browser…

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Thanks for the clarification, Woody. I assumed that was the case. Since I’m no longer using IE nor Flash, should I also assume this Windows update can wait?

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They can all wait. Just don’t use IE (or, now, Edge).

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I’m having the same problem since yesterday’s Flash update. Constant flashing “unresponsive plugin” and “unresponsive script” messages that don’t let me do anything, and Firefox freezes so I have to close it with task manager. Anyone figure out how to solve this?

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For people with Windows 7, you can update your Flash manually here:

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

The new one is Version 22.0.0.192.

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Maybe it is useful for Flash only to set and forget it, i.e set it to automatically update. It has a bizarre behaviour though, it seems that for updates considered critical by Adobe, updates without user interaction while for all other updates asks for permission. So it is not fully auto-update.

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IE on Windows 8.x and 10 and the equivalent server versions with Desktop Experience installed run Flash Natively.
IE on Windows 7 still uses the Adobe Flash ActiveX update mechanism.

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I truly believe in soft-power, diplomacy and dialog, but sometimes a radical approach is imperative. I don’t believe that argumentation can convince mainstream sites but I do believe that a loss of users, that stats showing the decline of Flash equipped browsers will as inevitably lead those sites to abandon Flashy Flash as not removing Flashy Flash from one’s computer will incline those lazy sites to stick on to this piece of craps.

Consequently my attitude is not pragmatic but idealistic. For once.

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Woody:

Could not locate the latest information on the “once again” slow downloads for the MS updates for June.

I attempted to DL & install the Malware Removal, and an update to the definitions, and it was back to “SLOW, SLOW, AND SLOWER”.

Is there a new patch which can be used to speed the updates up, as we did during the last 2 months? I cannot locate any current information.

Thank you for your help, as always.

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See this:

https://www.askwoody.com/2016/possible-fix-for-the-abysmally-slow-windows-7-update-scans/

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Woody:

I installed ALL of the “fixes” previously listed. The last ones were KB3145739 & KB3138612. Those worked great for the April updates, however it appears that there is nothing out there now which will take the place of those.

The only other option I can think of is to do the “search for updates”, run that, and after that try once again to download ONLY the Malware Removal Tool, and the “Definition Update. Otherwise I don’t know what else to do. It may be better to wait until you give an “all-clear” for May’s updates.

Thank you for the reference you provided, and all of the other help you provide to us all.

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Yep, wait for the MS-DEFCON level to go down.

Life’s too short.

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This just arrived for my Win 10. Should we hide it with Noel C’s tool along with the other Win 10 updates, or download it?

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Based on what Jim in Yakima says on 6/16 my new Win 10 has 32-bit FF installed in C:Program Files(x86). Which is strange because the Staples installing guy guaranteed me he installed the 64-bit.

It is v47 of Mozilla/5.0 (after some updates). It crashes sometimes often a few times on the same day.

I am not sure if I should be happy or sad about this. Is this a good thing based on JiY’s comments on FF-64 bit, that the 32-bit FF was installed?

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I’d say keep it away from your machine – and don’t use Flash!

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It’s not just British TV which is behind the times. Flash is still the norm for US American TV sites and Apps. All the major networks use it.

PBS Videos can be viewed without Flash. They are leading the way, it seems.

What the TV networks want to do now is to upgrade broadcast TV to be interactive and require a web stream to view live TV shows. Not pure broadcast anymore.

With AT&T UVerse pushing Direct TV (Satellite) to get TV users off its old telephone copper-wire network, this would appear to be the exact reverse of what the ISPs would want.

Even Comcast with Fiber Optic connections (in places) doesn’t want the Internet to be used for broadcast TV enhancements.

So getting with the times is proving to be quite a dilemma for everybody, and Flash persistence is only one small slice of the whole pie.

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I simply set my browsers to play Flash content only if I allow it. Click To Play in Chrome, and a plugin setting in Firefox. I don’t use IE or Edge for entertainment content, so I never allow Flash in those browsers, but I still have to patch them.

Both the Carboni MEthod and the MS Update Catalog method work perfectly well when selectively patching only for Flash Player updates this month.

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In Win 8/8.1/10, Flash Player is called Embedded Flash. It’s not separate from the browser like the Firefox and Opera plugins. Chrome Pepper Flash is also embedded. You update the whole browser to get the Flash Player updates.

Win 10 does have an update in the MS Updates Catalog. Use IE 11, and the download will patch IE and Edge. Or just use Neil Carboni’s method and select only the Flash Player Update and the current MSRT for installation.

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If you need Flash Player, update it. Otherwise, leave it off. Like .NET FRamework.

I need Flash Player, but I use the Chrome Browser under Linux. That browser gets regular updates, including Flash Player.

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It’s easy to replace the 32-bit versin with a 64-bit version, and I believe the current version is 48.–something.

I don’t use Firefox on Windows, so can’t say what the crashing is all about. Check for Extensions and Plugins updates. Otherwise, it is what it is.

And if Staples configured your PC, you are in for a world of issues. They are no better than the best Buy Geek Squad, and that is almost an insult to the Geeks. Geniuses they are not!

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Hi Woody,

I don’t know if you tend to give a monthly warning to folks about new Adobe patches, or if you only do so when they are major updates, but a day or two ago Adobe released their July patches, if you wanted to alert folks here.

(one description of them is at http://krebsonsecurity.com/2016/07/adobe-microsoft-patch-critical-security-bugs/ )

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I do try to keep up. Thanks for the post!

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My games wouldn’t load today in Facebook. Checked chrome settings all seemed to be OK Adobe flash was enabled. Then discovered on web that chrome is phasing the built in one out. I had to download Adobe Flash player to get my games to work. Think when Google updates to version 55 going to a different system. So perhaps can uninstall flash then.

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