USA Today reports that users running Internet Explorer, Edge or Chrome on Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 will be updated automatically, but checking your version just to be sure only takes a moment. You can also visit Adobe's version information page directly. It may show your flash player version right in the dialog box, but if it doesn't, then clicking that option will take you to a page that displays the version you are running. You can do that by right clicking on any Flash video and selecting the 'About Adobe Flash Player' option. The way to tell whether or not you need to update Flash, and whether or not you may have already been compromised, is to check your Flash version. According to the emergency security bulletin, users running Windows, OS X, Chrome OS and Linux are all advised to update to the latest version of Flash.

Unlike many computer viruses that are targeted only at Windows, Adobe's security bulletin reveals that this Flash vulnerability renders multiple platforms vulnerable to virus, malware, or ransomware injection. If they refuse, they are denied access to their programs and files. If the user agrees to pay a ransom via the Internet, their system is released. Time reports that this latest Flash vulnerability has already been exploited by the 'Locky' ransomware, which is a type of malware that is able to hijack a system, lock the user out, and demand payment.

If you're running an outdated version of Flash, Adobe urges you to install the emergency patch before your system falls victim to the virus. Virus and Malware Scans:Īpart from antivirus software, this download has also been tested with several popular anti-malware and anti-spam services.Adobe has released an emergency fix for a zero day vulnerability that has allowed at least one ransomware virus to hit Flash. The antivirus programs we used to test this file indicated that it is free of malware, spyware, trojans, worms or other types of viruses. We used 23 different antivirus applications. The test for the file install_flash_player.exe was completed on Jan 29, 2021.

Outdated flash player virus