Why is Adobe Flash Player starting on these forums now?

Discussion in 'Forum Related Discussions' started by Krusty, Mar 4, 2015.

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  1. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    Can someone explain why Adobe Flash Player starts when even I read a thread here in Firefox now?

    Thanks.
     
    Krusty, Mar 4, 2015
    #1
  2. LowWaterMark

    LowWaterMark Administrator

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    I can't think of any reason why it should. It doesn't for me. Tested in multiple browsers.

    What does Flash do exactly when it starts?

    Can you view page source in browser to see if there are any flash files or objects? There'd have to be something in it in order for it to start.
     
    LowWaterMark, Mar 4, 2015
    #2
  3. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    Hi,

    All I know is that HitmanPro.Alert gives two fly-outs when I read threads here now. One for Plug-in Container, the other for Flash Player. Odd though, I haven't seen it while logged out. It wouldn't be the green "Online Now" tile would it?

    Sorry LowWaterMark, I had a quick look at Page Source and that's way over my head.
     
    Krusty, Mar 4, 2015
    #3
  4. noone_particular

    noone_particular Registered Member

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    Not familiar with Hitman Pro. Does it give any more information, like an actual URL? Is it possible that it's alerting to ads injected by your ISP? Could you post screenshots of the alerts or a text copy of the page source?
     
    noone_particular, Mar 4, 2015
    #4
  5. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    No, it's not an alert. It's the same fly-out HMP.A users see whenever they open any program that is protected by HMP.A.
     
    Krusty, Mar 4, 2015
    #5
  6. Adric

    Adric Registered Member

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    Might be something to ask Erik in the HitmanPro.Alert Forum if he knows the reason.

    Edit: I see you did a few minutes ago.
     
    Adric, Mar 4, 2015
    #6
  7. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    Krusty, Mar 4, 2015
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  8. LowWaterMark

    LowWaterMark Administrator

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    I just fired up a test snapshot with vanilla installs of the latest Firefox and Flash... Then started up a fresh session here. I don't see Flash starting or running at all.

    Okay, so Flash is not necessarily starting. What you are seeing is some type of notice from HitManPro.Alert. That is not specifically the same thing. It could be some kind of false positive.

    Ah, I see you've already thought of that while I was testing.

    Since the development team for HMP.A is basically beta testing the product here, that thread is the perfect place to research this. And since so many HMP.A users are also here, lots of data should be available soon, if others are seeing it.
     
    LowWaterMark, Mar 4, 2015
    #8
  9. LowWaterMark

    LowWaterMark Administrator

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    Just to explain the differences here today... About two hours ago, I upgraded XenForo to the latest version - xF 1.4.5. It does have some minor engine differences under the covers, but, they aren't supposed to be that significant.
     
    LowWaterMark, Mar 4, 2015
    #9
  10. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    I see @deugniet isn't seeing the fly-outs either but he / she also doesn't show whether they are online or not. The green "Online Now" tile??

    I'd be happy to post the Page Source if someone could give me easy to understand steps for dummies. :D
     
    Krusty, Mar 4, 2015
    #10
  11. LowWaterMark

    LowWaterMark Administrator

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    Yes, xF 1.4 added its own online status indicator - that green triangle on the upper left corner of the avatar.

    Previously, we were using a forum mod that displayed the words Online and Offline below the member name. I removed that in favor of this new built-in xF option. But, I don't see how that could be triggering anything. It's some kind of drawn graphic object, only present when the member is online. Nothing shows when they aren't online.
     
    LowWaterMark, Mar 4, 2015
    #11
  12. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    OK, so far it looks like I'm the only lucky one. It does slow page rendering down now because I believe HMP.A is scanning Plug-in Container / Flash Player before the page loads.

    I've just jumped on to my other machine [similar programs] and see the same thing with it too.

    I'm now more curious as to why HMP.A is doing this than anything.
     
    Krusty, Mar 4, 2015
    #12
  13. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    I've PM'ed @erikloman , perhaps he can shed some light on it.

    Thanks.
     
    Krusty, Mar 4, 2015
    #13
  14. Triple Helix

    Triple Helix Specialist

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    Triple Helix, Mar 4, 2015
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  15. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    I am running HMP.A and see none of this.

    Pete
     
    Peter2150, Mar 4, 2015
    #15
  16. wolfrun

    wolfrun Registered Member

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    Initially when I logged in, FF sent the message to "activate flash". I have the setting for flash set at "ask to activate". Since then have logged off and re logged in and now the message "active flash" has not appeared. Looks ok now.

    Edit :Oops. spoke to soon, just as I posted this the message above, "Allow www.wilderssecurity.com to run "Adobe Flash" appeared again.
     
    wolfrun, Mar 4, 2015
    #16
  17. Compu KTed

    Compu KTed Registered Member

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    Using Pale Moon and have set flash to "ask to activate". No messages appear. Checked permissions in page info
    under Activate Plugins there are 4 settings for flash. (use default, always ask, allow, block) Currently set to "always ask".
     
    Compu KTed, Mar 4, 2015
    #17
  18. Jarmo P

    Jarmo P Registered Member

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    I get also the prompt
    Allow www.wilderssecurity.com to run "Adobe Flash"?
    after I had set Shockwave Flash 16.0.0.305 'Ask to Activate.

    I have never seen this before or even checked if it is so. I have always allowed flash without asking.

    I noticed some months ago that typing posts to this forum was impossibly slow with Google Chrome and EMET using the recommended settings, EAF+ enabled with chrome_child.dll. If that has anything to do with this Flash issue I don't know. I had to mention though. Only one other member, Wildbydesign, beside me noticed this behaviour in EMET thread. I do hope this is not again something that bothers some of us and not the others.
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2015
    Jarmo P, Mar 4, 2015
    #18
  19. Veeshush

    Veeshush Registered Member

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    I got the same thing, but only once so far.

    Could just be a Firefox thing.
     
    Veeshush, Mar 4, 2015
    #19
  20. wolfrun

    wolfrun Registered Member

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    Just typing this as a test to see if flash want's to activated.

    Edit: It's still doing it, so it's not a one time thing. Only happens when I post a message.
     
    wolfrun, Mar 4, 2015
    #20
  21. Jarmo P

    Jarmo P Registered Member

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    Wolfrun, the prompt bar will show in my computer below the bookmarks immediately after logging. No need to type any, but posting does not need Flash to be allowed.

    Strange that it appears if Flash plugin is set to ask.
     
    Jarmo P, Mar 4, 2015
    #21
  22. acooldozen

    acooldozen Registered Member

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    Ditto here with PaleMoon and "always ask".................................no problem with HMPA!
     
    acooldozen, Mar 4, 2015
    #22
  23. wolfrun

    wolfrun Registered Member

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    Yes it is strange. Anyway, enough of this for now, I have to head out and shovel some snow. :(
     

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    wolfrun, Mar 4, 2015
    #23
  24. LowWaterMark

    LowWaterMark Administrator

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    It's funny that it is only Firefox. Now, a lot of this is way outside my area of expertise, I'm mainly a back-end server and security guy. But, isn't there something in browser configurations that has to do with associations of object types with means of rendering them?

    You know, what it uses when displaying a GIF or what processes other page elements. Modern web application software like has a lot of complex elements in its pages. What if something, a type of image or something that processes and displays objects from a sprite, or whatever... what if in the newer Firefox versions, the default association to display one of those elements is Flash? Although I did test for a few hours with the newest Firefox and didn't see anything. Still, it could also be the combination of how Firefox does something and the configuration options someone has set.
     
    LowWaterMark, Mar 4, 2015
    #24
  25. wolfrun

    wolfrun Registered Member

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    I've just logged in with Palemoon to see if the flash problem occurs with it.
    Edit: No problem with Palemoon, flash is not asked to be activated. Anyway, as far as FF goes not a big deal with me personally as I have it set to "ask to activate". I just don't activate it, simple.
     
    wolfrun, Mar 4, 2015
    #25
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