Renewed serious security vulnerability with Adobe Flash Player   [04.02.15]

The Communication, Information and Media Centre (KIM) recommends uninstalling, at the very least disabling, Adobe Flash Player.

Its manufacturer Adobe again informs us that a critical security vulnerability has been found in the current versions of Adobe Flash Player. This enables a remote and unregistered attacker to, at the very least, cause your computer to crash or even to take control of the affected system.

The vulnerability is already actively exploited with popular video portals and the malware, with which this happens, can be unknowingly implanted into systems via what are known as "drive-by downloads".

The focus is currently on the users of Windows 8.1, regardless of the browser they are using. Other systems are also threatened, as the malcode can be adapted at any time. You should at the very least disable your Adobe Flash Player until the next security update.

Websites that are only programmed with Flash will then no longer be correctly displayed. Universität Hohenheim websites or other leading portals use mechanisms that generally display content correctly in spite of this.

See below for how to disable Flash Player on individual browsers:

• Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/de/kb/flash-aktuell-halten-und-probleme-beheben 
• Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/108086?hl=de
• Internet Explorer: windows.microsoft.com/de-de/internet-explorer/manage-add-ons

Please contact kim-it@uni-hohenheim.de or the IT Service Desk (Tel. 24444) should you have any questions or problems.

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