Tech: Fake Flash download WARNING

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash download WARNING
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jun 14 - 01:00 PM

Which part of that old quote do you disagree with, gargoyle? Download from the manufacturer (or a safe vendor)? Or looking to be sure that what you're downloading is marked correctly as an Adobe product? That hasn't changed in six years.

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash download WARNING
From: Mr Red
Date: 12 Jun 14 - 04:07 AM

this is what my friend said
I experienced the attempted malware Adobe spoof myself a few nights ago. The article's date is as you say but exactly describes what I saw so to remove any confusion I added this to my posint ** I realise that the article on the link below is not current but the methodology is identical.**

now did you ever hear of the criminals breaking in and stealing all the computers at a business. Insurance paid up, new computers full configured and within months the thieves wer back and took all the newest PC?

Ask yourself. Is it safe to go back in the water? Oh we have solved that problem the miscreants wouldn't try that 5 years later. No? they are still sending e-mails about being robbed and loosing all their money ............. or have they switched to the money left over from the billion pound contract ... and did the call centre Micro$oft engineer with the thick Indian accent retire?

They thrive on complacency. proof? - see above.

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash download WARNING
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jun 14 - 12:15 PM

[quote]
A lot has changed in six years.
[/quote]
But when you search Google will bring back those ancient reports.

I sometimes think that "the right to be forgotten" is more important for some of these tech articles than for people.

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash download WARNING
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 11 Jun 14 - 06:42 AM

It's a very relevant and current warning: I just tried to get some sheet music from www.sheetmusicplus.com. Was invited to update my Adobe software: did not click on that link but Norton anyway gave me a message to say they'd blocked an attack by FakeFlashPlayer.

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash download WARNING
From: JHW
Date: 11 Jun 14 - 04:58 AM

It is difficult for the mere punter to be sure he's on the genuine article. I once thought I was getting Adobe pdf but it was someone's home-made pdf and wrecked my Firefox toolbar.
Eventually I guess all the space on my laptop will be filled with antivirus files and there'll be none left for me to work with.

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash download WARNING
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 11 Jun 14 - 04:14 AM

Dearest Mr. Red.

Your friend is linking you to the flash Player version 9.0.124.0.

A lot has changed in six years.

The current release is version 11.2.202.378

Rather than relying on the kindness of Rip van Winkler, I suggest you read ZDNet weekly , the source you linked to.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

tis better to be thought....than remove all doubt.

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash download WARNING
From: Mr Red
Date: 11 Jun 14 - 02:46 AM

Maybe my friend had just removed a new virus sent via a fake Flash update. Bitlock and Cryptolocker are fooling people as we speak.
I don't think the warning is out of date, it is current and my stories are last month. Freeware is a common vector for malware. It finally made the Telegraph newspaper only last week. They know the name and the address (one anyway) of Mr Cryptolocker and how many children he has. Because of the stand-off between Russia and USA the FBI can't get any authority in Russia to extradite him.
I get "Undelivered Mail Item" e-mails to an email address I use where they are likely to spam me (or allow the address to wander). I never use the USPS knowingly but with a .com domain their thinking is predictable. Such a tactic is common with Zeus Zero Hour and Cryptolocker. Wiki on the subject (and variant names).

the Flash Block Mac virus is admittedly 1 year old but knowing how Mac users treat the subject - they will still be getting caught.

    such a cavalier attitude to warnings is common, Gargoyle you should know better   

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash download WARNING
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 11 Jun 14 - 12:39 AM

Such timely advice.
|         August 5, 2008 -- 04:26 GMT


Sincerely,
Gargoyle

such belated, out of date, warnings are common to SRS, and expected ... but you Mr. RED should know Better.

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash download WARNING
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Jun 14 - 07:00 PM

From that article, a quote from Adobe:

"First off, do not download Flash Player from a site other than adobe.com -- you can find the link for downloading Flash Player here. This goes for any piece of software (Reader, Windows Media Player, QuickTime, etc.) – if you get a notice to update, it's not a bad idea to go directly to the site of the software vendor and download the update directly from the source. If the download is from an unfamiliar URL or an IP address, you should be suspicious.

Second, all Adobe software for Windows is signed with a digital certificate that is validated by Windows when you install our software. The Publisher will always be 'Adobe Systems, Incorporated', and you can verify this when you double-click the installer, or by right-clicking on the installer, selecting 'Properties', and going to the 'Digital Signatures' tab."

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash update WARNING
From: Mr Red
Date: 10 Jun 14 - 06:45 PM

Cars are complex beasties and product recalls are not uncommon. Just as well as there is no AV for them. Anyone ever heard of this wheeze that criminals try:
Driver gets home, presses the keyring radio zapper assuming the car is locked and opens their front door. Miscreants in the bushes with a jammer. They return in the dead of night and remove any saleable items from the unlocked car. People who get home are mentally inside their house and don't hear the lack of noise from the car, indicating a failed attempt at locking the car. The message is that: naive people are the vector that criminals employ. They know people get stressed and just wait for that moment. Percentage game.

OS and Browsers are, if anything, far more complex and micro changes are going on all the time. To build in protection would bloat the software, slow it and reduce features. All browsers (alledgedly) come for free. AV can be bought, for good reason. Yer gets wot yer pay for.

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash update WARNING
From: TheSnail
Date: 10 Jun 14 - 11:34 AM

All that work is already being done. I just don't see why it can't be done by the browsers and/or the OSs. That would ensure that everybody had protection without taking any extra action. Cars these days genrally come fitted with door locks, secure ignition and alarms. You don't have to have them retro-fitted by a third party.

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash update WARNING
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 10 Jun 14 - 10:41 AM

Well, for one, viruses and malware are continually being
changed by their authors. That means that the anti-virus
and anti-malware programs must be continually updated to
meet moving targets, which would be a pain in the neck, at least,
for publishers of browsers and OSes.

Even if those publishers were to build in defensive measures to
deal with viruses and malware, and to keep them updated, it
would make the browsers and OSes huge and expensive. And the added
bells and whistles might provide vulnerabilities that the enemy
programers could exploit.

Even as it is, Microsoft (for example) has to run its update
mill as fast as it can to plug vulnerable holes as weaknesses
are found.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash update WARNING
From: TheSnail
Date: 10 Jun 14 - 06:14 AM

Why isn't anti-virus protection built into browsers and operating systems?

Subject: RE: Tech: Fake Flash update WARNING
From: Andrez
Date: 10 Jun 14 - 05:52 AM

The advice not to download software updates from any source other than the publisher is sound and applies across operating system platforms. Similarly all platforms carry some risk of harm from viruses, malware and hacking etc. No-one is immune and so some form of protection is essential. No if's buts or maybes that is of course unless you don't value your data, photos, music and so on.

Cheers,

Andrez

Subject: Tech: Fake Flash update WARNING
From: Mr Red
Date: 10 Jun 14 - 05:33 AM

A friend at PC Techniques sent me a warning

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/adobe-beware-of-fake-flash-downloads/1648

Personally I don't install Flash on Firefox Portable but it has to be disabled because some sites detect it as needing updates so you have to disable it then they kick down to HTML5.

All Mac users I have warned 12 months since (a Mac targeted Flash Block add-on carried a virus payload) declared the usual "Macs don't get viruses". One even told me he didn't need AV but had install "Sophos Defender" citing Office viruses as a vector. Hmmmm. "What's in a name?" When will the Apple evangelist realise that the bigger the target the bigger the payoff? PCs still offer by far the biggest target and the miscreants play the percentage game. And the gullible are a big percentage.

Curiously I had two stories that were either Bitlocker or Cryptolock viruses. And in both cases they assumed Micro$soft would ask (out of the Blue) for all their personal details despite having some of them. One was a very intelligent guy, but was under pressure organising stewards at a festival.
It is that easy to be fooled.
I always tell peeps that Micro$soft only respond to your requests, never act proactively. But it falls on deaf ears sometimes.