FlashUtil_ActiveX.exe 28.0.0.161 crashing

[chadh99868825]

Faulting application name: FlashUtil_ActiveX.exe, version: 28.0.0.161, time stamp: 0x5a73ae2c

Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 10.0.15063.608, time stamp: 0x8274fd8b

Exception code: 0xc0000409

Fault offset: 0x00000000000aa020

Faulting process id: 0x460

Faulting application start time: 0x01d3cc436569308d

Faulting application path: C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil_ActiveX.exe

Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll

Report Id: 2e76b4fe-7348-46f3-94db-b5a53c9b0bb5

Continually getting this error and crash in IE on Windows 10, particularly if the URL is for a page that has a lot of embedded Flash and ActiveX controls.  I've experimented with Enabling and Disabling Hardware Acceleration in the objects, as well as Enabling and Disabling ActiveX Filters in IE.  I've also attempted to update the Intel video drivers, but the problem persists.  Didn't have these problems with Windows 7 computers that these models are replacing.

Windows 10 Enterprise (1703 - 15063.909), Dell Optiplex 3050 MFF, Intel Core i3-6100T @ 3.2 GHz, 8 GB RAM.  IE 11 (11.909.15063.0), (11.0.51), Shockwave Flash Object (28.0.0.161) enabled.

[jeromiec83223024]

A crash dump and/or exact steps to reproduce would be super helpful:

Report a Flash Player crash or error

[chadh99868825]

The URL is for an internal server page, so you won’t be able to reproduce the problem. This happens on all newly deployed computers with the specs I’ve given, but wasn’t a problem for old computers running Windows 7.

Please explain where to find the crash dump. These don’t have Adobe Flash Player, as Flash is built into Shockwave/IE in Windows 10.

[jeromiec83223024]

DebugDiag is the easiest way.  You'd just want to attach to the FlashUtil_ActiveX.exe process.  You may need to start up a page with Flash that doesn't trigger the crash, just so you can see it in the process list.  Once you've selected it, the system will start logging crash dumps when it crashes.

There's a good guide here:

Steps to Catch a Simple “Crash Dump” of a Crashing Process – Share Poignant

[chadh99868825]

The FlashUtil_ActiveX.exe process isn’t visible for monitor, so I set it to monitor iexplore.exe instead.  I’ve attached the dump files generated.

Some are quite large, but here is a smaller one:

Loading control script C:\Program Files\DebugDiag\Scripts\CrashRule_Process_iexplore.exe.vbs

DumpPath set to C:\Program Files\DebugDiag\Logs\Crash rule for all instances of iexplore.exe

[ ... edited for brevity ... ]

[jeromiec83223024]

Can you send me the actual .dmp files that were generated?  They should be in C:\Program Files\DebugDiag\Logs\Crash

You can just stick them on Adobe Send/Dropbox/Google Drive/etc or file a bug over at tracker.adobe.com and attach them.  Feel free to PM the link to me (just click my username) if you'd prefer to not have them public.

Thanks!

[chadh99868825]

All I got were the text files.

[jeromiec83223024]

Ah, it generates a log file every time it attaches to a process, so you'll get one for each time iexplore.exe gets fired up.

When it actually catches a crash, then it records a .dmp file.  Since iexplore.exe isn't the crashing process (per the original error message you posted), it isn't catching anything.

You can specify the name, even if it's not in the current process list.

Try this:

• Go back to the DebugDiag Collection tool
• Choose Add Rule
• Choose Crash
• Choose A Specific Process
• In the Selected Process box, enter FlashUtil_ActiveX.exe (it doesn't matter that it's not in the list)
• Hit Next a few times and Finish

You should then start seeing logs (and if it crashes, crash dumps) getting logged to C:\Programs and Files\DebugDiag\Logs\Crash rule for all instances of FlashUtil_ActiveX.exe.  It's the dumps that are interesting.  The logs just tell you that it saw the process start and attached to it.

[chadh99868825]

I sent you a link for Adobe Send, where I placed two dump files.

[jeromiec83223024]

Yeah, this is the bug that I mentioned earlier related to EDP.  We've reported this to Microsoft and are waiting on feedback.  This kind of thing moves slowly and would require a future update to Windows to fix.  You may need to disable EDP as a workaround in the interim.

Protect your enterprise data using Windows Information Protection (WIP) (Windows 10) | Microsoft Doc...

[chadh99868825]

EDP being “Enterprise Data Protection”? Do you know the specific Group Policy or Active Directory setting our team should change? Is the setting user specific or computer specific in the domain? This is an extremely large corporate environment, so It’s not something I can change or test. I have to provide as many details as possible, in order to assist the teams involved. Thanks.

[jeromiec83223024]

Exactly.  WIP (nee EDP) isn't enabled by default on Windows machines, so I imagine that you're deploying a GPO to clients on your domain that enables the feature.  Beyond that, I don't have a ton of insight.  Your enterprise environment is unique and complex, and your organization is the authority on how to best administer and configure it to meet your own internal requirements.

Microsoft has WIP expertise.  It's their feature, and they're best positioned to provide you with guidance on how to configure and deploy that technology. 

The link to the WIP/EDP documentation that I provided in the pervious reply provides a general overview of the technology, but also links off to more technical guides on how to create and deploy WIP rules in various scenarios. [1]  We're outside my area of expertise, but one path you might consider is creating a rule that exempts the affected process from EDP, while you wait for a bugfix.  Again, Microsoft is the best resource here.

If you have a support contract with Microsoft, you may want to open a case with them and provide the dumps that you shared with me.  They may be able to provide some suggestions for workarounds.  At the very least, it might help support more engineering prioritization for this issue.

[1] Create and deploy a Windows Information Protection (WIP) policy using System Center Configuration Ma...

[chadh99868825 · Accepted solution]

Microsoft released Adobe Flash Player Security update for April 10, 2018 (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4093110/security-update-for-adobe-flash-player), which
seems to have resolved the issue.  Thanks for your assistance.