Adobe Patches Critical Flaw in Flash 10.1

Adobe Systems has released a critical security patch for its Flash Player 10.1, fixing 30 bugs that had been reported in the web tool.

The patch also fixes a crucial vulnerability affecting .swf files, which allowed hackers to install malicious files onto systems.

Adobe normally releases updates on a quarterly basis, but due to the critical nature of the bug, the company decided to release the patch early.

The vulnerability also affects Adobe Reader, but the company has not yet released a patch to fix this issue. A separate patch protecting Adobe Reader is expected by 29 June.

The patch has been made available for Windows, Mac and Linux versions of Adobe Flash 10.1, but is not yet available for versions running the Solaris OS.

Writing on his blog, Brad Arkin, the company's director of product security and privacy, explained:  “The security update for Flash Player will be available by June 10, 2010. The security update for Adobe Reader and Acrobat will be available by June 29, 2010.”