Adobe Flash Player Update Installing Other Programs Without Asking

[Kanoe]

Just wanted to ask if anyone else has seen this and to shame Adobe for doing this.

Turned on my work PC this morning to be confronted by a update flash player notification. Downloaded the update flashplayer22axau_ga_install.exe and ran it.

Everything looked like normal in that the first page of the installer asks about my update preferences (and as always ensured that it was set to notify only) and clicked next to install the update.

At the same time as installing the flash player update it installed McAfee Security Scan Plus without giving me any kind of choice to only install the flash player update and not the additional software.

I re-downloaded the update (which was a little tricky as the installer deletes the downloaded file at the end of the update from your computer) just to check that I hadn't missed an opt out check box to stop it installing McAfee and I hadn't.

Luckily I have enough access on this computer to go to Control Panel -> Programs and Features and uninstall McAfee.

This is pretty rubbish behaviour on Adobe's part, especially as its in an update to one of the most vulnerable bits of software most users have on their computer!

Shame on you Adobe!!

[virtuo]

I know they've done this in the past, but that is going back 3 or 4 years now and even then the option was there in a little check box.

I find it hard to believe that Adobe would install McAffee like that with no option at all. Not that I don't believe you, it's just incredible that they haven't learned from the backlash they've had before.

Did you download the same update file, or have you tried the offline installer?

[Dashers]

From memory it's a separate installer.

Yeah it's bad, I label Flash and Java (Oracle) as adware.

Flash I can kind of understand though, it's always been proprietary. Java on the other hand was made an open standard and free by Sun. It's not free if they're pushing other stuff.

Still, we're slowly moving towards a world where Flash and Java aren't needed. HTML5, CSS3 & Javascript are doing a lot to kill both. If you really need a thick desktop client then .NET provides a lot less agro for Windows users and Mono isn't bad for Nix.

[Giraffe]

Updated Flash yesterday but, instead of just clicking OK, I go to https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/. In the central column it has, pre-ticked:
---------------------------------------------------------
Optional offers
Yes, install the free McAfee
Security Scan Plus utility to check
the status of my PC security.
It will not modify existing antivirus program or PC settings.


Yes, install True Key™ by Intel
Security to say goodbye to the
hassle of passwords.
---------------------------------------------------------
Of course I untick both. IIRC, at one time it tried to install Chrome - far worse!

A few days ago I updated Avast! Free a/v via the UI and it installed the SafeZone browser! Next time I'll d/l the .exe and DIM (Do It Myself).

[satrow]

Luckily, there are still ways to get the clean, full installer from Adobe, without any of the crap that comes with the 'Consumer' version stub installer.

I always use Security Garden, Corrine there does a Sterling job of keeping up with a range of security issues, including Windows Updates, Adobe/Java, etc. There's direct links to the main Flash versions and also a direct link to the Flash uninstaller, worth running that every few months, before a major version change, or if you suspect a dodgy version of Flash has been installed.

[GoNz0]

Just wanted to ask if anyone else has seen this and to shame Adobe for doing this.

Turned on my work PC this morning to be confronted by a update flash player notification. Downloaded the update flashplayer22axau_ga_install.exe and ran it.

Everything looked like normal in that the first page of the installer asks about my update preferences (and as always ensured that it was set to notify only) and clicked next to install the update.

At the same time as installing the flash player update it installed McAfee Security Scan Plus without giving me any kind of choice to only install the flash player update and not the additional software.

I re-downloaded the update (which was a little tricky as the installer deletes the downloaded file at the end of the update from your computer) just to check that I hadn't missed an opt out check box to stop it installing McAfee and I hadn't.

Luckily I have enough access on this computer to go to Control Panel -> Programs and Features and uninstall McAfee.

This is pretty rubbish behaviour on Adobe's part, especially as its in an update to one of the most vulnerable bits of software most users have on their computer!

Shame on you Adobe!!

It has been like this for a long time and tbh it is a clear option that you can untick as I have never accidentally installed it!

[Kanoe]

It has been like this for a long time and tbh it is a clear option that you can untick as I have never accidentally installed it!

That's the thing this time there was no untick option, the notification that there was an update on the PC had 2 options, remind later and download now, the download now took you to the website but automatically downloaded the patch installer without any user prompts and the installer itself didn't give any option to not install McAfee at the same time. It didnt even mention that it was going to be installed until it was actually doing it.