The dangers of https, revisited

See this thread, the first post is a few years old: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=31087&highlight=https dangers

My question is not about theory or what is possible.

Is this currently exploited, for malware, commercial or surveillance purposes ?

When I log into the website of my own bank, it manages to plant a Flash cookie, although I've tightened the Flash security settings as much as possible. I really don't like that.

Btw, I'm using Windows XP Home Edition SP 2 IE 7, tweaked settings.