Microsoft warns users about Flash threat

In an unusual move Microsoft has issued a security alert to its customers about a security flaw in another company’s software.

The company has warned its users about the critical security bug in Macromedia’s Flash Player, widely reported last week.

Microsoft is concerned that users should act immediately to protect themselves from the problem, as even users of Microsoft’s XP Service Pack 2 are vulnerable.

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It is not known whether any attacks have taken place as a result of the flaw, but as Flash is one of the most widely installed pieces of software on internet-enabled PCs, the threat is seen as serious.

Flash allow users to see more features on interactive websites. 

Microsoft has urged all its customers to either install the Macromedia patch that addresses the problem or to disenable Flash ActiveX controls in their Internet Explorer browsers, to avoid attacks that take advantage of the security hole.

Uninstalling Flash completely is another workaround to the problem offered by Microsoft.

The flaw allows remote attackers to take over a user’s unpatched machine and install arbitrary code. It affects Internet Explorer and other browsers.

Users of Flash Player version 7 and lower are affected and Macromedia has urged users to upgrade to an updated version 8 to avoid the problem.