"Malware"/PUP Files Questions

SaRina · ‎04-17-2015

During a regular Malwarebytes scan yesterday, a PUP file was quarantined. I deleted it, then looked at my Programs to check for anything that may have been installed without my permission. I discovered that Adobe Flash had been installed yesterday without my knowledge.

I am always informed when there is an Adobe Flash update. It is not automatic. I uninstalled it, just in case. In fact, to my knowledge, I haven't installed anything in about the past month.

1) How could this have happened?

2) I noticed my on-line Games still work without Adobe Flash. I thought they needed Adobe Flash to work. Not having AF doesn't seem to have made a difference in what I use at all. ???

TIA.

Nuttmeg · ‎03-09-2010

@SaRina wrote:
During a regular Malwarebytes scan yesterday, a PUP file was quarantined. I deleted it, then looked at my Programs to check for anything that may have been installed without my permission. I discovered that Adobe Flash had been installed yesterday without my knowledge.

I am always informed when there is an Adobe Flash update. It is not automatic. I uninstalled it, just in case. In fact, to my knowledge, I haven't installed anything in about the past month.

1) How could this have happened?
2) I noticed my on-line Games still work without Adobe Flash. I thought they needed Adobe Flash to work. Not having AF doesn't seem to have made a difference in what I use at all. ???

TIA.

You must have Adobe Flash set to install as a automatic update in Windows 7.
In Windows 8.1, It updates as a Window update.

I do not have a computer running Window 10, and do not know what happens with this OS.
In Window 7, and 8.1, you need AF installed to view video in IE, and Chrome.

SaRina · ‎04-17-2015

@Nuttmeg wrote:

You must have Adobe Flash set to install as a automatic update in Windows 7.
In Windows 8.1, It updates as a Window update.

I do not have a computer running Window 10, and do not know what happens with this OS.
In Window 7, and 8.1, you need AF installed to view video in IE, and Chrome.

Hi nutmeg. I have Windows 7 and always get a pop-up box that tells me there is an Adobe Flash update and do I want to install. I'll have to double-check to see if it's an automatic update, but then why would I get the pop-up?

I just watched a music video in Chrome without Adobe Flash. It was fine.

It was no big deal this time, but I would like the option of installing what I want to install and when I want to install it. I was just curious if it was an automatic install of Adobe Flash yesterday, whether it carried the PUP file with it. That's what my concern is.

I'm not even going to re-install Adobe Flash at this point unless I find something that previously worked but now doesn't without it. Thanks.

Nuttmeg · ‎03-09-2010

Your computer data could be at risk. You, me and everyone needs to make sure they are using the latest version of AF.

I use a free program Belarc Advisor to make sure I have all the latest security updates.

Runner26 · ‎09-30-2013

@SaRina wrote:
@Nuttmeg wrote:

You must have Adobe Flash set to install as a automatic update in Windows 7.
In Windows 8.1, It updates as a Window update.

I do not have a computer running Window 10, and do not know what happens with this OS.
In Window 7, and 8.1, you need AF installed to view video in IE, and Chrome.

Hi nutmeg. I have Windows 7 and always get a pop-up box that tells me there is an Adobe Flash update and do I want to install. I'll have to double-check to see if it's an automatic update, but then why would I get the pop-up?

I just watched a music video in Chrome without Adobe Flash. It was fine.

It was no big deal this time, but I would like the option of installing what I want to install and when I want to install it. I was just curious if it was an automatic install of Adobe Flash yesterday, whether it carried the PUP file with it. That's what my concern is.

I'm not even going to re-install Adobe Flash at this point unless I find something that previously worked but now doesn't without it. Thanks.

I have Windows 10 and there was an update for AF yesterday 3/11. I have my updates on automatic. You're never suppose to update from a popup so I don't know if that's when you got the malware. Last year, only a few weeks after I purchased my laptop, I was about to watch a video and a popup came up saying that my AF player was outdated and as a jerk-reaction I clicked on to install (I knew better but I was tired and I realized what I did as soon as I did it) and got some nasty thing I my computer where it changed my browser, put a banner, etc.

Never click on a popup. Install from a trusted site.

One of the things I like about Windows 10 is the UAC which would've gave me that second chance to not install it.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

I was just going to say one thing that Magis said - I hope you aren't just using a random pop up that looks like it's from Adobe to update or install ANYTHING.

There was a lot of talk, a while back and numerous times since, that there is malware out there that makes itself look like it's an Adobe update. It's not!

If I see one of those - maybe it IS from Adobe but I won't take the chance. I will just 'x' it out of there and go to the Adobe site by Googling whichever Adobe product it is and 'current version' then, making sure that I am actually on the Adobe site, I will install it from there.

I have no knowledge of this 'PUP' thing but if it's malware you may have clicked on the wrong thing and installed something that you thought was something else. You cannot be too safe with this sort of thing!

SaRina · ‎04-17-2015

Hi chickenbutt and magis. I have always gotten a pop-up when there is an update for AF, but I have always gone to the AF site to update. I do not click on pop-ups. I did not get a pop-up yesterday, yet AF was installed!

When I did my virus scan yesterday, it quarantined a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) file. I deleted the file from my computer. In reading about PUP files, it advised to see what program(s) were very recently installed because these programs could have the PUP file attached. (I believe it explained that PUP files are tacked on to programs to increase revenue for the vendor.) The only program recently installed was AF and that was yesterday too.

It just seemed odd to me that AF was installed automatically, unlike in the past, and if it then had this potentially dangerous file attached to it. I didn't know what to make of this odd coincidence and thought someone here might know.

At any rate, my computer does seem to be running slower than usual even after clearing cache and cookies.

Nuttmeg · ‎03-09-2010

@SaRina wrote:
Hi chickenbutt and magis. I have always gotten a pop-up when there is an update for AF, but I have always gone to the AF site to update. I do not click on pop-ups. I did not get a pop-up yesterday, yet AF was installed!

When I did my virus scan yesterday, it quarantined a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) file. I deleted the file from my computer. In reading about PUP files, it advised to see what program(s) were very recently installed because these programs could have the PUP file attached. (I believe it explained that PUP files are tacked on to programs to increase revenue for the vendor.) The only program recently installed was AF and that was yesterday too.

It just seemed odd to me that AF was installed automatically, unlike in the past, and if it then had this potentially dangerous file attached to it. I didn't know what to make of this odd coincidence and thought someone here might know.

At any rate, my computer does seem to be running slower than usual even after clearing cache and cookies.

I have a laptop running Window 7, AF is setup to auto install. My Window 8.1 computer updates AF during Windows security updates once a month.

Here is some info about this update https://www.yahoo.com/tech/again-adobe-flash-vulnerability-lets-hackers-over-pc-162951597.html

SaRina · ‎04-17-2015

Thanks for the link, nutmeg. So are you saying I did the right thing by uninstalling AF yesterday......but I need to reinstall the latest version?

With all these recurrent security issues with AF, why do I really need to risk my security by re-installing AF if what I do on the computer does not seem to require AF?

Nuttmeg · ‎03-09-2010

@SaRina wrote:
Thanks for the link, nutmeg. So are you saying I did the right thing by uninstalling AF yesterday......but I need to reinstall the latest version?

With all these recurrent security issues with AF, why do I really need to risk my security by re-installing AF if what I do on the computer does not seem to require AF?
Having an older version of AF, could hurt your computer. I would suggest using the auto update setting for AF.
Someone or something, a bot, can come into an unprotected computer and steal (hack) the password(s) to your accounts.

You may want to D/L Belarc Advisor. It will tell you what updates are missing from your computer, including AF. You can then install missing updates.

This a link to an expert's site about AF http://krebsonsecurity.com/tag/adobe-flash-player/