Adobe Flash Player updated -- includes automatic background updates

Adobe has released Version 11.2.202.288 of the Flash Player plugin for browsers.  This update includes a major change:  it installs a background service called "Adobe Flash Player Update Service" and creates a scheduled task which runs once an hour to check for updates.  The service only runs when the task activates it, so there is no significant load on the computer.  If you use a passive install from the MSI, the updater is enabled automatically.  When I installed my two flash updates (plugin and ActiveX), the first one created the task and installed the service.

Adobe Security Bulletin here:

Adobe - Security Bulletins: APSB12-07 - Security update available for Adobe Flash Player

These priority 2 updates address critical vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player 11.1.102.63 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh, Linux and Solaris, and Adobe Flash Player 11.1.111.7 and earlier versions for Android 3.x and 2.x. These vulnerabilities could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.

Adobe recommends users of Adobe Flash Player 11.1.102.63 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux update to Adobe Flash Player 11.2.202.228.

Adobe blog entry discussing how the updater works here:

Introducing Adobe Flash Player Background Updater for Windows | Adobe Developer Connection

...
At the core of Adobe Flash Player Background Updater is a scheduled task in the Windows Task Scheduler (see Figure 2) and a Windows service (see Figure 3). These two elements ensure that Flash Player remains up to date with the latest patches and updates. The Windows service used for Adobe Flash Player Background Updater is launched on an as-needed basis by the scheduled task and is therefore dormant for most of the time, saving memory and CPU resources.