Flash is evil

[David Arnstein]

This article from Yahoo/techweb describes a spying technique that uses
features of Macromedia Flash:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._cmp/160400719

If the link doesn't work, the title of the article is "Company
Bypasses Cookie-Deleting Consumers."

Apparently, the company United Virtualities uses Flash "shared
objects" in place of cookies. The article links to a Macromedia web
page that explains how to control "shared objects." I thihk that I
will just remove Macromedia software instead.

I hope that the anti-spyware vendors will provide features to control
these "shared objects."
--
David Arnstein
arnstein+usenet@pobox.com

[lee]

David Arnstein wrote:
> This article from Yahoo/techweb describes a spying technique that uses
> features of Macromedia Flash:
>
> http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._cmp/160400719
>
> If the link doesn't work, the title of the article is "Company
> Bypasses Cookie-Deleting Consumers."
>
> Apparently, the company United Virtualities uses Flash "shared
> objects" in place of cookies. The article links to a Macromedia web
> page that explains how to control "shared objects." I thihk that I
> will just remove Macromedia software instead.
>
> I hope that the anti-spyware vendors will provide features to control
> these "shared objects."

You can disable Flash, temporarily or permanently, using SpywareBlaster,
for example. This way, for sites you wish to enable flash, you can.

[AvianFlux]

A solution is provided by 'Macromedia Flash Players Settings Manager'
at:

http://www.macromedia.com/support/do...manager02.html

Adjust your 'Global' and 'Website' security-privacy settings there.

[Miles]

Which setting is better?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"AvianFlux" <neomoniker@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1112394939.244770.236750@l41g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
A solution is provided by 'Macromedia Flash Players Settings Manager'
at:

http://www.macromedia.com/support/do...manager02.html

Adjust your 'Global' and 'Website' security-privacy settings there.

[AvianFlux]

Set everything to maximum privacy-security settings, i.e., no/none (0
kb) allowable website storage, lock out camera & microphone remote
access, delete all existing Flash Media website's from the storage
files.

Right click on the 'Macromedia Flash Player Settings Manager' to launch
the Flash Media local settings control panel, and do the same thing
there.

Just disable, and set to 'None', every available feature, and
empty/delete the stored Flash Player files.

[Jay T. Blocksom]

On 1 Apr 2005 14:35:39 -0800, in <alt.privacy.spyware>, "AvianFlux"
<neomoniker@hotmail.com> wrote:

> A solution is provided by 'Macromedia Flash Players Settings Manager'
> at:
>
> http://www.macromedia.[REDACTED]
>
> Adjust your 'Global' and 'Website' security-privacy settings there.

And you trust the wolf to guard your henhouse because...?

--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
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usenet02[at]appropriate-tech.net

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[AvianFlux]

Jay T. Blocksom wrote:
> And you trust the wolf to guard your henhouse because...?

Because Macromedia is a reputable firm as far as I know. They have
everything to loose and nothing to gain if they become known other
wise.

Do I trust them? No - I monitor them and everyone else.

[Redmond du Barrymond]

On Fri, 1 Apr 2005 20:42:01 +0000 (UTC), arnstein@panix.com (David
Arnstein) wrote:

>This article from Yahoo/techweb describes a spying technique that uses
>features of Macromedia Flash:
>
>http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._cmp/160400719
>
>If the link doesn't work, the title of the article is "Company
>Bypasses Cookie-Deleting Consumers."
>
>Apparently, the company United Virtualities uses Flash "shared
>objects" in place of cookies. The article links to a Macromedia web
>page that explains how to control "shared objects." I thihk that I
>will just remove Macromedia software instead.
>
>I hope that the anti-spyware vendors will provide features to control
>these "shared objects."

I'm safe. I don't allow the evil Flash player on my PC.

"Redmond du Barrymond" <redmond@STUFFIT.invalid> wrote in message
news:lorr41trh0s98qeqoiepk1m40raj6c4i8h@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 1 Apr 2005 20:42:01 +0000 (UTC), arnstein@panix.com (David
> Arnstein) wrote:
>
>>This article from Yahoo/techweb describes a spying technique that uses
>>features of Macromedia Flash:
>>
>>http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._cmp/160400719
>>
>>If the link doesn't work, the title of the article is "Company
>>Bypasses Cookie-Deleting Consumers."
>>
>>Apparently, the company United Virtualities uses Flash "shared
>>objects" in place of cookies. The article links to a Macromedia web
>>page that explains how to control "shared objects." I thihk that I
>>will just remove Macromedia software instead.
>>
>>I hope that the anti-spyware vendors will provide features to control
>>these "shared objects."
>
> I'm safe. I don't allow the evil Flash player on my PC.


Some sites only provide a Flash-enabled web page because they want to
hide how their web site is structured so some bozo with a web crawler or
spider can't steal their web site. You'll find that you won't be able
to visit those web sites. They may provide a non-Flash equivalent page
but they may not. Just like it is your choice not to install and
support Flash content, it is just as much a web site's owner choice not
to let you steal their web site pages. So far, I haven't hit many sites
that are Flash-only sites but I have hit some, like my own ISP's home
page which paints a page that Flash must be installed to view their home
page (they no longer provide a non-Flash version if the Flash detect
fails).

Some sites that provide some free service make up for it by revenue
garnered from ads on their pages (yeah, you might not like the spam but
then you shouldn't be using their free service) and will use Flash to
present those ads, and if you have Flash disabled so the ads don't
display then the site refuses to show you their web page. You get their
service for free but those resources cost them money and they don't work
for you, so don't visit there if your intent is to pickpocket.

You can decide to not install Flash. Just be aware that more site
authors are attempting to protect their copyrighted content by NOT using
simply HTML coding and relying on other mechanisms to secure their site
code, like using Flash to hide the code.

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[Redmond du Barrymond]

On Sat, 2 Apr 2005 00:09:45 -0600, <Vanguard> wrote:


>Some sites only provide a Flash-enabled web page because they want to
>hide how their web site is structured so some bozo with a web crawler or
>spider can't steal their web site.

That's right, and I have come across a few of those sites. I just
close my browser and say adios. No great loss.