Using legacy NAS with Flash-based UI after 2020

Report · Jan 14, 2019

Hi,

The upcoming Firefox-release will no longer support the Flash-plugin (actually Shockwave Flash 32.0.0.114)

Meaning I'm running into trouble !

I have legacy-hardware which uses Flash for the Admin-interface.

Are there any (stand-alone) Flash-solutions for this ?

Otherwise I wull no longer be able to access those devices !

Thanks

Message was edited by: Jeromie Clark - Updated the title to more accurately reflect the issue

Report · Jan 14, 2019

I think you may have misread whatever article you read. As per Firefox's published plugin road-map:

2019

Firefox will disable the Flash plugin by default. Users will not be prompted to enable Flash, but it will still be possible to activate Flash on certain sites using browser settings.

As for what "it will still be possible to activate Flash on certain sites using browser settings" means, you'll need to contact Firefox.

Firefox, and all major browser versions will continue to support Flash Player until the end of 2020, when Adobe will end-of-life Flash. However, in the interim, browser vendors will continue to increase friction with regards to how the mange Flash (e.g. Chrome has disabled Flash by default for quite some time now, and Firefox will follow suit with Firefox 69, scheduled to be released in September 2019).

With that said, on July 25, 2017, Adobe announced it's plan to end-of-life Flash at the end of 2020 (see Flash & The Future of Interactive Content | Adobe Blog ), as such, companies that rely on Flash interfaces should have already started planning for. I recommend contacting the hardware/software vendor of your legacy hardware for their Flash end-of-life replacement plans.

Report · Jan 14, 2019

This is the article I read : https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3069286/mozilla-confirms-that-flash-will-be-disabled?utm_m...

https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3069286/mozilla-confirms-that-flash-will-be-disabled?utm_m...

As far I understand it, from FF69 there is no longer possible to use Flash.

What I didn't know is "Adobe announced it's plan to end-of-life Flash at the end of 2020"

That makes it even worse

Meaning I absolutely need a solution to be able to continue using my (Thecus NAS) legacy-devices (which are End-Of-Live for the manufacturer = no manufacturer solution)

Thanks

Report · Jan 14, 2019

Quite frankly, that's a poorly written article, and I understand your concern.

As far I understand it, from FF69 there is no longer possible to use Flash.

According to Firefox's plugin road-map, this is not the case. I trust Firefox more than I trust a random journalist.

The second paragraph in the article you link to is not accurate:

Mozilla is one of the last browsers to continue supporting the aged multimedia rendering protocol which has become synonymous with security risks in recent years and is now used by under five per cent of computer users.

Chrome, Edge/IE, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and other Chromium-based browsers still support Flash. What they are doing (in various stages) is blocking it by default, forcing user's to enable it. The way they handle this is different (e.g. on Chrome, when you allow a site and close Chrome, Chrome deletes you're previously configured setting).

HTH.

Report · Jan 14, 2019

But in the roadmap I read :

2019
    Firefox will disable the Flash plugin by default. Users will not be prompted to enable Flash, but it will still be possible to activate Flash on certain sites using browser settings.
2020
    In early 2020, Flash support will be completely removed from consumer versions of Firefox. The Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) will continue to support for Flash until the end of 2020.
2021
    When Adobe stops shipping security updates for Flash at the end of 2020, Firefox will refuse to load the plugin.

So from 2020 on and latest 2021 I'm having problems to access the legacy NAS !

Would like to have a solution for it

Report · Jan 14, 2019

At the end of 2020, Adobe will stop shipping Flash Player, and browser vendors will completely drop plugin support for Flash at that time (if not sooner, as per your quote from Firefox Flash road-map).

An option floated around by some non-Adobe folks is to create a Virtual Machine with a browser version that supports Flash. This does have it's risks, especially if the VM is connected to the internet, since Flash Player will no longer be updated (with security fixes) after 2020.

With that said, the recommendation here would be to update to a supported NAS, especially since (from a previous comment), the manufacturer is also no longer supporting the solution you are using.

<edited: grammar>

Report · Jan 14, 2019

Flash will not be available and will not run with contemporary browsers as of some time in 2020. That's the plan.

I should say that to control your legacy hardware you will need a legacy browser and legacy Flash player, probably running on a legacy operating system on legacy computer. Be sure to go back in time far enough to avoid auto updates.