Mozilla confirmed that it has disabled all versions of Adobe Flash Player in Firefox web browsers over security concerns. The block will remain effective until Adobe rolls out an updated version to address all flaws. This newest security flaw makes it easy for attackers to install malware on users’ computers to gain access to their systems. Since Flash is blocked by default, users who want to use Flash will be able to manually change their plugin settings on trusted websites.
Why Mozilla blocked Adobe Flash
Mozilla’s decision to block Flash comes right after a document cache was stolen from Hacking Team’s security team and leaked online. The documents provided details on the bugs used by cyber-criminals. Adobe claims it already solved one of the bugs and is currently working on fixing two other bugs.
The senior manager of corporate communications for Adobe added that the company is making a strong effort to fix the bugs and make their products safer for users. Adobe’s Flash is notorious for having low security measures. Although most websites still use it for interactive features, some sites like YouTube moved away from Flash in favor of alternatives like JavaScript and HTML5.
Security experts think Adobe should kill Flash
Security professionals also encouraged users to either disable or remove Flash from their computers. Alex Stamos (security chief for Facebook) even tweeted the following message:”It is time for Adobe to announce the end-of-life date for Flash and to ask the browsers to set killbits on the same day.Even if 18 months from now, one set date is the only way to disentangle the dependencies and upgrade the whole ecosystem at once.”
Google also recently teamed up with Adobe to halt Flash content that was non-essential. This means when a Chrome user visits a website that uses Flash, the video will play while pausing other animations.
Adobe patched up Flash Player to correct the zero-day vulnerabilities discovered in the aforemetioned document cache on Tuesday. The 18.0.0.209 update comes just one day after Mozilla blocked Flash player.
