[tor-talk] Flash executables keep starting in background when using TBB

Joe Btfsplk joebtfsplk at gmx.com
Mon Jun 16 19:17:59 UTC 2014


In at least the last couple TBB versions, or longer, I've found 
FlashPlayerPlugin_x.x.exe (latest *13_0_0_214.exe) running in background 
- numerous times.
Actually, 2 instances of flash exe files are always shown running.

Biggest question is, what is Flash doing to Tor anonymity in these 
cases.  Just because Flash isn't playing doesn't mean it's not 
contacting someone, somewhere.
I rarely use Flash - I assume TBB *now comes w/ it installed?*  The only 
time I would use it, is for something there appeared to be no other way 
possible AND on a site I wasn't concerned about.  Then immediately get a 
new identity.

Flash is NOT activated in TBB (always set to *"never activate"*) & I've 
never played any Flash content the times I've found the flash files 
running.
I'm not sure that when the flash files are found running, that I had 
played ANY video content at all.

By contrast, when I rarely play youtube vids in TBB, if it can't / won't 
play in HTML5, it always shows Flash as disabled or missing, & prompts 
to d/l it.
I'm not sure why that event would start these files running in 
background, if it does.

In Process Explorer, one flash*.exe instance has command line: 
\...\flash\NPSWF32_13_0_0_214.dll
The other has command line:  \...\flash\NPSWF32_13_0_0_214.dll" 
--host-npapi-version=27 --type=renderer

Both of those are shown under the process:  G:\Program Files\*Tor 
Browser\Browser\browser" - 7344 plugin* - (where TBB is installed).
Of all the times I've caught it, I don't believe Flash ever started 
uninvited under Firefox.

Activity history for the 2 files show they do write & read to disk, but 
I haven't sniffed them to see if they try to contact a server.

Has anyone ever looked in task manager or a process explorer & noticed 
these running?
Other than uninstalling Flash, how can I keep them from silently 
starting in background?


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