Adobe Flash is dead – let’s get it removed

After 24 years and 1078 known security vulnerabilities, Adobe Flash has reached end of life status as of December 31, 2020.

To assist with the process of removing Adobe Flash, I’ve written an uninstall script which will completely remove Adobe Flash. For more details, please see below the jump.

This script is designed to uninstall the Adobe Flash plug-ins and their associated components. As part of this, it runs the following actions:

1. Stop Adobe Flash Install Manager
2. If running, unload the launchdaemon used by the Adobe Flash update process.
3. Remove the Adobe Flash plug-ins, Adobe Flash Install Manager and their associated components.
4. Remove Adobe Flash preference pane settings at the user level.
5. Forget the installer package receipts.

The script is available below and at the following address on GitHub:

https://github.com/rtrouton/rtrouton_scripts/tree/master/rtrouton_scripts/uninstallers/adobe_flash_uninstall

	#!/bin/bash
	# This script uninstalls Adobe Flash software
	AdobeFlashUninstall (){
	echo "Uninstalling Adobe Flash software…"
	# kill the Adobe Flash Player Install Manager
	echo "Stopping Adobe Flash Install Manager."
	killall "Adobe Flash Player Install Manager"
	if [[ -f "/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.adobe.fpsaud.plist" ]]; then
	echo "Stopping Adobe Flash update process."
	/bin/launchctl bootout system "/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.adobe.fpsaud.plist"
	fi
	if [[ -f "/Library/Application Support/Macromedia/mms.cfg" ]]; then
	echo "Deleting Adobe Flash update preferences."
	rm "/Library/Application Support/Macromedia/mms.cfg"
	fi
	if [[ -e "/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Flash Player Install Manager/fpsaud" ]]; then
	echo "Deleting Adobe software update app and support files."
	rm "/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.adobe.fpsaud.plist"
	rm "/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Flash Player Install Manager/FPSAUConfig.xml"
	rm "/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Flash Player Install Manager/fpsaud"
	fi
	if [[ -e "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin" ]]; then
	echo "Deleting NPAPI browser plug-in files."
	rm -Rf "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin"
	rm -Rf "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player Enabler.plugin"
	rm "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/flashplayer.xpt"
	fi
	if [[ -e "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/PepperFlashPlayer/PepperFlashPlayer.plugin" ]]; then
	echo "Deleting PPAPI browser plug-in files."
	rm -Rf "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/PepperFlashPlayer/PepperFlashPlayer.plugin"
	rm "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/PepperFlashPlayer/manifest.json"
	fi
	if [[ -e "/Library/PreferencePanes/Flash Player.prefPane" ]]; then
	echo "Deleting Flash Player preference pane from System Preferences."
	rm -Rf "/Library/PreferencePanes/Flash Player.prefPane"
	fi
	# Removing Adobe Flash preference pane settings at user level
	allLocalUsers=$(/usr/bin/dscl . -list /Users UniqueID | awk '$2>500 {print $1}')
	for userName in ${allLocalUsers}; do
	# get path to user's home directory
	userHome=$(/usr/bin/dscl . -read "/Users/$userName" NFSHomeDirectory 2>/dev/null | /usr/bin/sed 's/^[^\/]*//g')
	/usr/bin/defaults delete "${userHome}/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist" com.adobe.preferences.flashplayer 2>/dev/null
	done
	#Remove receipts
	rm -Rf /Library/Receipts/*FlashPlayer*
	pkgutil –forget com.adobe.pkg.FlashPlayer >/dev/null 2>&1
	pkgutil –forget com.adobe.pkg.PepperFlashPlayer >/dev/null 2>&1
	# Remove Adobe Flash Player Install Manager.app
	if [[ -e "/Applications/Utilities/Adobe Flash Player Install Manager.app" ]]; then
	echo "Deleting the Adobe Flash Player Install Manager app."
	rm -Rf "/Applications/Utilities/Adobe Flash Player Install Manager.app"
	fi
	echo "Uninstall completed successfully."
	}
	# Set exit error code
	ERROR=0
	# Check to see if Adobe Flash sofware is installed by locating either the Flash NPAPI or PPAPI browser
	# plug-ins in /Library/Internet Plug-Ins or the Adobe Flash Player Install Manager.app in /Applications/Utilities
	if [[ -e "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin" ]] || [[ -e "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/PepperFlashPlayer/PepperFlashPlayer.plugin" ]] || [[ -e "/Applications/Utilities/Adobe Flash Player Install Manager.app" ]]; then
	# Run the Adobe Flash Player software uninstaller
	AdobeFlashUninstall
	if [[ $? -eq 0 ]]; then
	echo "Adobe Flash Player uninstalled successfully."
	else
	echo "Error: Failed to uninstall Adobe Flash Player software."
	ERROR=1
	fi
	else
	echo "Error: Adobe Flash Player software is not installed."
	ERROR=1
	fi
	exit $ERROR

view raw
adobe_flash_uninstall.sh
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