I'm having a popup box come up...

You'll get rid of it by not playing videos requiring Flash or by clicking the Allow button in the pop-up.

You can trick Flash into thinking it works and not have to bother allowing that content from the pop-up. This will also remove and prevent any persistent Flash cookies (Local Shared Objects.)

As far as I can tell all sites employing Flash will continue to function properly. I haven't encountered any problems playing Flash content and all that crap is permanently denied.

First, to get a new, clean folder, start by trashing the Macromedia folder in ~/Library/Preferences. That's in your user Library. Next, do not visit the local Flash Pref Pane in Sys Prefs. Instead, go directly to Adobe Global Privacy settings in the Adobe Settings Manager and set Camera and Mic to "Always deny." Visiting the Settings Manager will automatically create a new, clean Macromedia folder.

(If you first visit the local Flash Pref Pane, the new Macromedia folder will lack the empty default #shared objects folder and its also empty enclosed folder (this is the one with a combination of characters and numerals.) I haven't tested to see what will happen if those two folders are not present. I assume, providing the Macromedia folder is unlocked, they would be created as soon as one visits a Flash site, but they will not be empty and this would defeat the entire purpose.)

If you visit the local Flash Pref Pane now, all the defaults will remain, except for the Camera and Mic panel, where "Always deny" will be checked. Next, it seems prudent to go to the Playback panel and check "Block all sites from using peer assisted networking." But, important, in the Storage panel, you must leave the default "Allow sites to save...." checked. This is how sites using Flash are tricked into thinking storage of Flash Cookies is being allowed when they are, in fact, not.

Next, go back to the Macromedia Folder and, using GetInfo/CMD-I, recursively lock all its enclosed folders. This means starting from the back working ones way up to the front. And, finally, lock the enclosing Macromedia folder itself. Nothing gets stored and everything keeps on working.

(Thanks to Anon at XYMer's for this.)

I had this happen after I had done some fiddling in my settings. Finally learned what I'd done.

It's a very simple fix. (once I looked I realized I had switched it myself)

Got to System Preferences -> Flash Player -> Storage tab

There you can allow/deny flash sites from storing local information. It is currently set to "Ask me..." therefore you get the popup on every flash site.

I was worried at first when I saw these popups because of the recent warnings about a Mac virus coming via bogus Flash updates- which ironically was what had prompted me to get into the settings panels in the first place.

That does not make sense. A virus needing to come in using flash updates? Especially since there are no viruses for Mac OS X.

Who ever was telling you that nonsense was mistaken.

Hey- I read it on the internet- it *must* be true!

Actually it was on BBC news last Thurs (5 April 2012)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17623422

(excerpt)

I hope you are right and they are mistaken.

Message was edited by: cabngirl

I don't see the BBC calling it a Virus. Just that VIRUS RESEARCHERS were involved. Though the title Virus Researchers often can mean anything, you don't need any credentials for that.

You are right, I guess it's 'just' malware. Whatever malicious form of attacker it may be- it raised my concern which was why I had changed that setting....!

Leaving aside the pointless pedantry over the definition of a virus; I strongly advise the approach given by WZZZ above. It stops Flash being used to spawn persistent cookies and may also remove a possible malware vector.

Early versions of the Flashback trojan were indeed using a fake Adobe Flash installer to attempt to get admin permission to install, so your caution there is well justified. That particular malware is not the first to exploit Flash or other "missing plug-in" social engineering tricks.

Current versions of Flashback seem to be exploiting a Java vulnerability, and there are plenty of threads on the subject - here's one (long) one -

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3844172?answerId=18088298022#18088298022

Hey WZZZ - Thanks for the intel. I'm a casual MAC user, so a lot of this is over my paygrade -- but I'm intrigued by the string. I'm on a Macbook Air with OS X 10.6.8. Would this advice apply to me as well?

Last, I am moderately fluent in PC related issues (only been on MAC a couple of years) and I used to run malware detectors/protectors along with anti-virus software etc. Is that really not a concern with MACs? and if it is -- do you have a recommended Malware tool?

PS: I'm not getting the requisite pop-ups discussed.

Thanks

Doc

The Flashback episode is now behind us. But it would be a good idea to keep Java (not to be confused with JavaScript), through which the Flashback drive-by worked, disabled in whatever browser you use. Java seems particularly vulnerable to these kinds of exploits.

For a very decent introduction to the subject of malware, A-V and Macs, see T. Reed on this.

http://www.reedcorner.net/mmg/

noondaywitch wrote:

Current versions of Flashback seem to be exploiting a Java vulnerability

I agree with everything you've said, except that I probably would have worded this one differently.

Later versions of Flashback (after February of this year) definitely used a Java vulnerability that was patched by Apple (much later than it should have been). Flashback has been declared extinct by several A-V labs, so that specific threat hasn't been around for several months now. But vulnerabilities in Java still exist, so users do need to be cautious with it's use, especially in browsers, for the day when the next exploit shows up on the web.

I found this super helpful. I searched on adobe with this same problem (a lot of people have it) and no one had an answer. I would just add that "go directly to Adobe Global Privacy settings in the Adobe Settings Manager and set Camera and Mic to "Always deny," means that you go to the adobe website and there they have a settings manager that applies to your computer. I googled "adobe settings manager." I'm not sure if that was clear to everyone. This is not in your system preferences, rather online.

Glad that was helpful. Kurt Lang has clarified my directions with screenshots. Easier to follow now.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4221814?answerId=19349393022#19349393022

thx Cabngirl, you helped me 🙂

regarding your post:

I had this happen after I had done some fiddling in my settings. Finally learned what I'd done.

It's a very simple fix. (once I looked I realized I had switched it myself)

Got to System Preferences -> Flash Player -> Storage tab

There you can allow/deny flash sites from storing local information. It is currently set to "Ask me..." therefore you get the popup on every flash site.

I was worried at first when I saw these popups because of the recent warnings about a Mac virus coming via bogus Flash updates- which ironically was what had prompted me to get into the settings panels in the first place.

There is absolutely Malware on Mac OS X. I got it by downloading Adobe Flash from an unknown site. Beware, it is impossible to get rid of. Just ask Google about "Mac Cleaner" or whatever it is called!!!!