Warning: There's a major security flaw in Flash and you need to update immediately

Image: Adobe

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before… dozens of times. A very serious security flaw has been discovered in Adobe Flash and millions of users are impacted. The zero-day vulnerability allows hackers to exploit the flaw and crash a user’s system, or even take control of the system and steal private data.

It’s one of the most serious types of flaws out there and in this case the vulnerability is being actively exploited by hackers. In other words, this isn’t some tiny bug discovered by researchers and handled privately with Adobe behind closed doors. Hackers are using the security hole to attack users as you read this — and now Adobe has released an update to patch the flaw.

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Here’s what you need to know: All desktop versions of Adobe Flash player are affected, including builds for Windows, OS X and Linux. So basically, if you have a computer you need to install the update.

Product	Affected Versions	Platform
Adobe Flash Player Desktop Runtime	21.0.0.197 and earlier	Windows and Macintosh
Adobe Flash Player Extended Support Release	18.0.0.333 and earlier	Windows and Macintosh
Adobe Flash Player for Google Chrome	21.0.0.197 and earlier	Windows, Macintosh, Linux and ChromeOS
Adobe Flash Player for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11	21.0.0.197 and earlier	Windows 10
Adobe Flash Player for Internet Explorer 11	21.0.0.197 and earlier	Windows 8.1
Adobe Flash Player for Linux	11.2.202.577 and earlier	Linux

How can you update? You can use the update mechanism on your computer, or you’ll find direct downloads and alternative options here:

Product	Updated Versions	Platform	Priority rating	Availability
Adobe Flash Player Desktop Runtime	21.0.0.213	Windows and Macintosh	1	Flash Player Download Center Flash Player Distribution
Adobe Flash Player Extended Support Release	18.0.0.343	Windows and Macintosh	1	Extended Support
Adobe Flash Player for Google Chrome	21.0.0.213	Windows, Macintosh, Linux and ChromeOS	1	Google Chrome Releases
Adobe Flash Player for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11	21.0.0.213	Windows 10	1	Microsoft Security Advisory
Adobe Flash Player for Internet Explorer 11	21.0.0.213	Windows 8.1	1	Microsoft Security Advisory
Adobe Flash Player for Linux	11.2.202.616	Linux	3	Flash Player Download Center

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Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.