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Freaky Flash 6 Fishy Features

Posted by chrisd on from the what-are-they-thinking dept.

donpardo writes "I upgraded to Flash 6 last week (to patch a security hole). When I right clicked on a Flash ad at abcnews.com, and pulled down to Settings I got a tabbed dialogue box asking if I wanted to give them access to my cam and microphone. Clicking through on the tabs revealed that the microphone and the camera had already been detected and that the microphone was active. I doubt the camera or the microphone were sending information out but this still seems invasive. Here are Macromedia's statements about the mic and the camera. In addition there is a setting to ask how much information the site can store on your computer. The default value is 100K. According to the information statement "Data can be anything from your user name to your current score in an interactive game to a list of stocks in your portfolio ... The data is not public, but the privacy of this data depends on the policies of the web site where the movie is hosted."" I thought the first sentence of this submission was telling ...

5 of 284 comments (clear)

  1. Is there no shame by tfreport · · Score: 3, Flamebait

    Ok, I understand that the technology is here and that it is possible. I understand that some people want to know what your working on in your computer or the sites you are visiting for advertising purposes and what not.

    What I cannot fathom, is how could anyone purposely write a program to spy into my room, listening to me or watching what I am doing? Doesn't anyone have a conscious anymore? Come on. This is my house, my life, stay the f@#k out!

  2. youre safer when youre watched by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    MM suxs. Art fag designers who suck MM blow hard too. Flash suxs and is a waste of bandwidth. We all know that bandwidth is better spent on trojan'd version of windoze xp, pron, and ISOS.

    What a great feature!! Just as soon as I am done giving all personal and financial info in my new "passport" I'll enable the microphone and camera immediately. Besides I heard if I didnt, that those linux hackers would break into my secure windows install and rob me and precious children.

    fux0rd again...

  3. What pases for a slashdot post these days by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    as a commercial software developer anyone who installs any software and doesnt bother to configure it is a retard. Hell install apache and the default install can leave your hd open to reading but we dont all say apache is horrible thank god apache for x wasnt released... ICQ/MSN/Y! msg apps all have this functionality.

    This was clearly not added as a "spyware" application and was oh so evidently added to make things like online web help more personable and user friendly. Think of joe user trying to use a web app and wants some live help online.. It can always help to be able to show something over a camera etc instead of typing text or a mic for chat while a process is explained visually..

    I just cant believe this made slashdot. I mean is this a personal sounding board for the owners or a news site. "News for nerds. stuff that matters" ... guess nerdy news doesnt include journalistic integrity.

    So macromedia made a new cookie for userdata thats bigger than the standard ie one.. so freakin what it still follows the same security model.. I can spare 100k if its gonna help store the current set of session variables on the client and take the load off commercial servers... What developer with half a clue would see this as a bad thing.

    Go disable cookies/javascript and activex while your at it install lynx for your everyday browsing and ecommerce needs.

    forshame

  4. a bit alarmist, no? by Torinaga-Sama · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Let me tell you this. No one wants to look into your webcam unless you are only slightly over 18, female and have an aversion to wearing clothing.

    A camera and a Microphone are two very useful items for online communication. If you don't want to be seen or heard, don't freaking buy them.

    Flash has to evolve like anything else to stay alive. Integrating more multimedia functionality into its program can't be a bad thing. It isn't being invasive, it's off by default. Go cry wolf where it's important.

    --
    (/local/home/curiosity)-#who -u|grep thecat|cut -c 44-49|xargs kill -9
  5. If all you skullfucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    used microsoft windows you could use a program called Zone Alarm that lets you block all outgoing traffic. instead your stuck with lunix..haha gay faggits