Is the Flash in Chrome Safe?

[jrs22]

Based on what I've read on MacRumors Forums I don't have flash installed in Safari. Since flash comes with Chrome I've installed that and use it when I want to use flash. Is the flash that comes with Chrome better protected against malware, etc. than the version of flash that I can install in Safari?

 

[Weaselboy]

Flash in Chrome is sandboxed and automatically updated, so should be just as safe as Flash under Safari.

 

[aarond12]

As an extra level of security and annoyance-prevention, I installed the "Flashblock" extension in Chrome. Now I don't get auto-start videos that appear on web pages, but I do have to click on any Flash object to load/start it.

 

[2012Tony2012]

On mac, flash can't harm you.

Can you tell me what harm a flash can do today on a Mac?

 

[GGJstudios]

Based on what I've read on MacRumors Forums I don't have flash installed in Safari. Since flash comes with Chrome I've installed that and use it when I want to use flash. Is the flash that comes with Chrome better protected against malware, etc. than the version of flash that I can install in Safari?

Flash is fine on Safari. I use Flash on Safari with ClickToFlash to control which content plays, and I have zero issues with it. Generally speaking, Flash is notorious for consuming system resources, raising temps and decreasing battery life. For Flash-related issues:

• Find your Flash version and make sure it's the latest version available. Never install or update Flash from a pop-up on a website. Always go to Adobe's site to get Flash or updates.
• Install ClickToFlash (Safari), Flashblock (Firefox) or FlashBlock (Chrome) to control which Flash content plays on websites.
• Install ClickToPlugin (Safari) to prevent Safari from launching plug-ins automatically, resulting in faster browsing, reduced fan usage, and increased battery life. It can also replace many plug-in-based media players with Safari’s native HTML5 media player.
• Try using the YouTube HTML5 Video Player to watch YouTube videos, when available. (May impact fullscreen viewing. See link for details.) Some have reported better performance with HTML5, while some have reported worse. Try it and find out what works best for you.

If you've gotten a message that the Flash plug-in was blocked, your Flash player likely needs to be updated to the latest version.

Adobe Flash Player updates available for OS X on February 7, 2013
Adobe Releases Flash Player Update to Patch Security Holes as Apple Blocks Earlier Versions