Adobe Flash Virus

[Guest]

I have checked the version of Adobe Flash I have installed and it is the Adobe website says "You have version 12,0,0,70 installed".  However when I try to go to other sites I get a popup asking me to upgrade Flash Player. Is this a virus?

[C_F_McBlob]

You don't really give much to go on...

What OS are you using?

And what browser?

[Guest]

Sorry - more info as requested.

The problem is affecting my iPad (running iOS 7), desktop computer and laptop (both running Windows 8.1) and the Smart TV when trying to access BBC iPlayer.

In terms of browsers it impacts IE, Chrome and Safari.

The pop up that I get is below:

[C_F_McBlob]

Well, it CAN'T affect your iPad, since there ISN'T a Flash Player for iOS and there never has been. The Smart TV can't be helped here. It uses either Android (incompatible with Flash now) or Chrome OS (embedded by Google or the TV manufacturer)

As far as the desktop goes, there are three different plug-ins at work there:

Flash Player for ActiveX (Internet Explorer)<--- IE is the only browser using ActiveX controls - it's NPAPI, but... (see below)

Flash Player Plug-in (All other browsers)<--- Safari (for Windows) uses this plug-in and it's the ONLY one you have installed using it - it too is NPAPI. Safari for iOS can't, because iOS has never been able to run Flash since it was first developed.

"PepperFlash" which is proprietary to Chrome and can't be updated or downloaded here - it's PPAPI.

Being as you're running Windows 8.1 you were forced to install IE11 with it, and it has a major problem...

That problem is "User-Agent Strings"

That doesn't mean a lot, I'm sure, but it's the root of your problems, and Flash Player has nothing to do with it.

Microsoft "rewrote" the User-Agent Strings for the abomination they call their latest and greatest browser. User-Agent Strings are what websites use to identify the browser you're using and provide the proper content for it's browser engine, like ActiveX stuff, and Flash or HTML5 video. Thanks to the geniuses in Redmond, WA, the User-Agent Strings for IE11 (which has a Trident engine), ID it as either "Gecko" (Firefox) or "Webkit" (Chrome). Problem is: when the site the directs to the content for one of these two engines, the Trident engine in IE can't intepret it and the site then sees IE as an "unidentified" browser.

The problem with an unidentified browser is that the plug-ins in that browser aren't recognized either, so even though you're up to date, it says you need the latest Flash Player when you use IE11. YouTube... has converted to HTML5 video so if it doesn't detect Flash Player, it can display HTML5 (MP4) video which requires no plug-in to play. Facebook can't do that, because HTML5 doesn't apply to games... only video.

Microsoft has no plans to "fix" the mess thay've created because they think it's a great idea to block you out of the websites you visit.

They recommend using "Compatibility View" and pretending that you're using an older verison of IE... Problem with that is that it's seen limited success, and you have to enable it for EVERY page that has problems... individually.

I'm not big on "pretending" so I recommend actually using another browser which you're already doing with Chrome.

Firefox (from Mozilla)

Opera (from Opera)

Safari (from Apple)

Chrome (from Google)

ANY of those will work where IE11 won't, with the Flash Player Plug-in (For all other browsers), and Chrome doesn't even need that because it has its own Flash Player plugin built in, but you're using it al;ready.

I see in the screenshot that it's BBC giveng you headaches. IE11 has had major problems with that site since it was released in October. Chrome should work OK, but I've read several places that Opera, running in Turbo mode (proxied) works best with BBC.

[Adobe_Rab]

SAME HERE.  On Android 4.2 (2 devices) problems with http://www.google.co.uk and http://www.bbc.co.uk.  Also the Gmail app doesn't work. (fails to sync). I cannot believe its just us!?!?

Characterised by the "update your flash player" screen above with the incorrect spelling of UNISTALL.

Also seen it on Chrome under Windows (I know, Chrome doesn't run flash).  But only a temporary problem under windows.

Problem perisists with Android.

(started about 12 hours ago).

EDIT: this is obviously a virus and/or malware. If you're on a PC then run an anti-virus scan and malwarebytes (for example).

I have a problem with 2 Android devices. I cannot access playstore (clever!)and need a copy of malwarebytes apk which I can manually download.

EDIT2: fixed. I cannot explain this but changing DNS servers back to default (IE ISP provided DNS) has brought everything back to life.  Weird!!