adobe flashplayer update installs mcafee crapware

[Bob_Timms]

Updated flash player and these adobe installed macafee crapware without even asking!!!! How can they do that? Why would they do that? Why do they want to piss off someone especially a customer! They have made me a totally RELUCTANT customer now.

[chris.campbell]

Ritergeek,

You will not receive a third party install without being given the chance to opt out first.  Our silent auto update service will never install a third party application.

As for the sentence you quoted:

"In some cases, the new version of Flash Player that you are downloading includes enhancements that give your computer additional protection when browsing the web." 

This refers to enhancements and security fixes that are include in Flash Player code.  Not third party utilities.

My facts are checked, no corporate innocence act.  I'm very aware that third party utilities are a touchy subject with some users and have made sure to relay this sentiment to our team.  If you find a third party website that causes Flash Player to be installed along with a third party utility, and you did not have the ability to opt out of additional installs, please give me the URL and I'll make sure we contact the website asap.

Chris

[spite48]

No, I don't think that is true. From the firefox plug-in updater, the installer downloads. Clicking to run the installer doesn't offer a checkbox, and the installation completes without further input.

I am accustomed to getting update prompts on another computer, and getting the option to decline garbage software - which would be easy to miss in a hurry, and should be done as an opt-in rather than an opt-out, however even that didn't happen in this case.

Even your own link shows no such opt-in checkbox.

http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/download/?installer=Flash_Player_11_for_Other_Browsers&os=Windows%2...

[pwillener]

spite48 wrote:

Even your own link shows no such opt-in checkbox.

http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/download/?installer=Flash_Player_11_f or_Other_Browsers&os=Windows%...

What I see when I click on that link is

[Fine Hid]

I had the same thing.

The link appeared when trying to upload photos to Facebook and it told me I had to update flash to upload multiple files.

This is the link it gave me:

http://aihdownload.adobe.com/bin/install_flashplayer11x32_mssa_aih.exe

I tried it three times to see if it would give option to avoid McAfee Shyte-ware, but option not given. Installed anyway, then uninstalled McAwful.

Is there a chance McArseful has left any debris that I should seek and destroy.

Not happy. Get it sorted!

[tommyz1052]

It is pretty clear Chris that Adobe is obfiscating here.

I just did a clean install and installed the newest adobe flash plugin for mozilla. It downloaded and installed both the plug in and MCAFFEE. NO OPT OUT.

It was one click to install, no checkbox, fine print.

This comes off of the ADOBE Website.

Simply google this topic and you get hundreds of forum posts about it.

So quit playing games with the public.

Do you speak for the company? If so I would like to include your response for the FTC filing.

[chris.campbell]

@fine hid - What page gave you that installer link?  Something from Adobe.com or Facebook?

@tommyz1052, can you point me to the page you downloaded Flash Player from? 

[Ritergeek]

I just installed the latest update to 11.3.300.265. I was able to uncheck the Norton box. The bad news is that by updating, I lost the audio function on Flash videos. Grrrr!

[Guest]

The update message just appeared on my screen, I thought I could trust Adobe when I accepted the download, a webpage appeared with  instructions being page https://get3.adobe.com/flashplayer/download/?installer=Flash_Player_11_for_Internet_Explorer&os=Wind...

ntice it says Mcafee in the title but no macafee on the screen image/web page at all. So mcafee got installed by default.

I do not want mcafee I will never ever use mcafee, so why bomb me with this?

I got flash version 11.3.300.271

I imediately unistalled mcafee, i hope i giot rid of all its hooks

Annoyed in the extreme

[Ritergeek]

You repeatedly ask for referring URLs. Sometimes, by the time we realize what happened, we don't remember or are unable to find the referring URL. Sometimes the link comes from an update notice on our computer and there is no referring URL. I've had it happen both ways.

[chris.campbell]

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but you should be seeing a page that looks similar to this (the yellow highlight around the third party offer was added by me)

If you don't see this page first, and are instead just brought to a download page that automatically starts downloading an installer that contains third party software, I want to know so I can go find it and look into removing it.

I understand the sentiment regarding these offers.  The fact is is that Flash Player is a free product and these offers (which should only be given on the get.adobe.com site) help produce revenue to offset our ongoing development costs.

If you've opted into our automatic update services, you will receive a notification within seven days of a regularly scheduled update (eg. 11.4).  This allows you to review the changes we've made and if you'd like to immediately download the player, you will be taken to our download page (which contains the optional software.)  Its perfectly fine to postpone the update if you want.  In that case, Flash Player will be silently updated on your system in 30 days or when a zero day vulnerability fix is made available, whichever comes first.

Thanks,

Chris

[Guest]

Hi Chris,

I see where you are coming from.

From now on I will then be vigilant in monitoring exactly how it comes and will take screen shots if I am quick enough.

From my memory I got a popup screen which reminded “update available” which I accepted, it then went to the screen (mentioned in the forum message that I wrote) and I don’t have UAC enabled so it all got installed.

It sounds from your description that you believe I did not read the full screen, with me just accepting adobe as a trusted entity. I however do not think this was the case, although I did accept the popup as it was trusted by me. However time will tell..

I am very open to helping in this situation.

You should understand my personal situation I have been using computers since the early 1970’s, I have had bad results with McAfee, I will never use them again. The only reason I registered on the Adobe site was to make that one complaint, that complaint was not really against Adobe except to complain that McAfee had got into my computer without my knowledge on the back of an Adobe update. I suggest you let people Optin with an Optin box, instead of forcing them to search everything for an Optout box.

I see that 5 hours ago there was another update so I am waiting

Thanks

David

[gameaddict]

I get the same massage today, when i turned on my Pc, it directed me to https://get3.adobe.com/de/..... and so on to download.

My virus software found the virus Trojan.JS.Redirector.ARU on my Computer. I found following information about it:

Trojan:JS/Redirector.AR is a malicious JavaScript inserted into Web pages by an attacker. The trojan script checks for the presence of Adobe Flash Player and Microsoft Office Web Components, redirecting the user to other Web pages that may exploit the vulnerabilities of Adobe Flash Player and MS Office Web Components.

Is get3.adobe.com a real adobe site? If its not, its better you check your computer for malicious software! And somehow the message I get to update Adobe was looking different then the message I get usually. Maybe it came from the virus?

[chris.campbell]

@SquirrelJuice - Thank you for the feedback and please let me know what you see going forward.  I'll make sure to pass your suggestion about opt-in along to the team.

@gameaddict - get3.adobe.com is a valid server address from Adobe

[gameaddict]

Thanks, now I'm feeling better, I thought I download some malware on my computer

[Guest]

EXTREMELY ANNOYED here too!!!

This was triggered from a flash player update.

I'm on Chrome. Flash player 11 was already installed and this looks like a browser plugin update (or install, I can't be sure right now)...

Never was I offered an opt out screen nor was I redirected to any page. All I saw was a flash update notification and a button to start this silent update. All of a sudden the McAfee trash was already in.

Won't be accepting any flash updates anytime soon. Or ever.

[Guest]

We have three laptop/pc here all running WIN7 Chrome with Flashplayer, all three are in different flashplayer states I don;t really know why, I have taken a screenshot of each status. The pc which was in the lead and subject to mcafee infiltration is operated a a main computer, the other two, one operated by me occasionally and the other one by my wife daily,

I am seeking a way to get the update notice to appear without forcing an update myself. All are set to 7 days autoupdate checking. Is there some site that when searched for on chrome that might trigger an update to occur before the 7 day timer checks?

[chris.campbell]

@duartix - Thank you for the feedback, I will pass this along to the team.  I'm curious, where did you download the Flash Player update from?  Did it occur after being prompted by Flash Player that an update was available?  I'm trying to understand and figure out if there are sites that link to the installers that include the third party software without letting the user opt out.

When being prompted with the update dialog, please note that you have the option to decline.  After 30 days (or sooner if a zero day security update is made available) Flash Player will automatically, and silently, update itself to the latest version so you won't have to take any additional action.

[Guest]

Looking at the install/remove programs list i can see:

Adobe Flash Player 11 Active X (13 days ago)

Adobe Flash Player 11 Plugin (today)

l don't ever remember going through a web page. All I remember was a Windows Desktop Notification (without any option to opt out).

But, look at the chrome history in my next reply to @SquirrelJuice because there's something in it.

[Guest]

@duartix

As you have Chrome, is it possible that you were logged in and can access the history feature and pinpoint the sites that may have triggered the update, then I can visit the sites on each of my three pc;s.

Thanks

[Guest]

Here's the chrome history for today:

I can see  a get3.adobe.com entry but I don't remember having gone through that page.

http://www.mediafire.com/?7fn55k37rvepo7r

[chris.campbell]

In your history file, I see two hits

17:01 - get3.adobe.com/flashplayer/download/?installer=Flash_Player_11_for_Other_Browsers&os=Windows%207&browser_type=KHTML&browser_dist=Chrome&a=McAfee_Security_Scan_Plus_Chrome_Browser&dualoffer=false&type=au&browser_vers=21.0.1180.83

17:01 - get3.adobe.com/flashplayer/update/plugin/

The first is the plugin page, with the opt out of the third party software.  The second is the actual download that included the McAfee software.  It appears, if I'm looking at the history correctly, that you just didn't uncheck the checkbox.

EDIT - Removed active links but left the server addresses for clarity

[Guest]

@Chris Campbell

Chris be calm and read this slowly, you are in for a surprise, in the first of the two links you gave in your reply to duartix at 27-Aug-2012 16:38, you say the link is to the plugin page with the opt out of the third party software. Your statement is not correct. The link does not give any chance to opt out and I have all the screen shots to prove it.

EDIT: Removed link to pdf that showed screenshots to the download page and included a link to the installer. There was nothing wrong with this content, but I wanted to make sure that we didn't have anyone accidentally install something they didn't want. - Chris

Now that I have proved it I have re-read the forum and note the file names and web pages that others are giving and it all ties to the same thing.

You must actually click on the link yourself and then understand exactly what it does.

Or have I misunderstood your posting

[bradleykronson]

No SquireelJuice, you are wrong.

The piece of crap auto-install from Flash popped up a download from your site in my Firefox and after running automatically downloaded and installed McAfee WITHOUT my permission too.

If Adobe is not going to be respecting people's rights in terms of downloading and installing software of their choice, there are avenues to take action against Adobe - I suggest you sort out your download procedure, before someone does this.

It's not a surprise Flash is taking a dive into obscurity, when Adobe starts to treat customers like this and install software without permission. This auto-install of McAfee crap-ware is making me reconsider having Flash installed on my machine. In fact from now on I'm going to be doing my hardest to convince any client NOT to use Flash as a platform for their digital work!

[chris.campbell]

@squirrelJuice - The history for Chrome is displayed descending, with the most recent on top.  That would mean that this URL was first loaded:

17:01 - adobe.com/flashplayer/update/plugin/

Then, after clicking the download button (and not unchecking the checkbox), this URL was loaded:

17:01 - adobe.com/flashplayer/download/?installer=Flash_Player_11_for_Ot her_Browsers&os=Windows%207&browser_type=KHTML&browser_dist=Chrome&a=M cAfee_Security_Scan_Plus_Chrome_Browser&dualoffer=false&type=au&browse r_vers=21.0.1180.83

I've disabled the links here (and in my other post) so that others don't accidentally download and install something they don't want.

[chris.campbell]

@bradlekronson - I downloaded SquirrelJuice's file, but it was just a pdf.  While he does have the full link in his document, it didn't try to auto download or install for me.  I would suggest holding off downloading install files (and definitely not run them) unless you know they are from a trusted source.  Since I've read his PDF, I'm going to disable the link to keep the confusion down.  SquirrelJuice, feel free to repost the content of the pdf in a new reply, but please do not include direct links that might cause others to download and install applications they do not want.

I understand your frustration regarding third party software and I'll relay it along to the team.  The fact is is that Adobe offsets the ongoing development costs of Flash Player, which is made available for free, by offering users the option to download select software of Adobe partners.