Flash Player was developed by Macromedia back in the 90s. In 2005, Adobe bought this company and thus got Flash Player at its disposal.
Flash Player is not a standalone program, but a plug-in for browsers. This extension makes sure that Flash content such as videos or animations can be played in browsers.
Unfortunately, it has become very easy for attackers to use Flash Player to break into personal computers. When you open a website with manipulated Flash content, it may already be enough to spy or send malware to your computer.
The reason Flash Player is so insecure seems to be its complexity. Flash offers numerous features and interfaces that serve as permanent intermediaries between the site and the browser. That is why the application has so many vulnerabilities.
It remains unclear whether Flash was insecure from the start or whether Adobe deliberately halted further development of the plugin. After all, Flash has always been free to use, and doesn’t require an expensive subscription, unlike other Adobe products.
However, one thing is for sure: in the next few years, Flash will serve its purpose. In 2020, Adobe will permanently end support for Flash Player.
Read also:
- How to activate Flash Player in the browser
- The very first video uploaded to YouTube
