- The Flash update warning appears automatically when I log in. I try to distrust everything that happens; how do I know this is really a Flash update? But I figure, let's see where this goes.
- I get a UAC flash. I know that some people don't like UAC, but I love it. I want to know when an application starts messing with my system settings.
- The UAC warning is telling me that there's an app call "flashupdate2.exe" that's trying to change my system settings.
- Here's the problem: flashupdate2.exe isn't digitally signed. That means there's no way to verify what it really is and where it came from.
At this point I have a choice: either don't update my Flash player, leaving me vulnerable to known attacks, or bet that the application that says it's a Flash updater really is a Flash updater and not a malware trojan.
Oh, that's right. There is a 3rd alternative: uninstall Flash until Adobe decides to exercise some common sense and sign their application updates for the benefit of everyone's security.