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{{Short description|Adobe Flash data stored on a user's computer}}
'''Local Shared Object (LSO)''' is a [[cookie]]-like data entity used by [[Adobe Flash]] Player. The application running in the Flash Player can store and retrieve data, which can consist of basic data types (such as strings or numbers) or more complex objects. The data is [[serialization|serialized]] to the user's hard disk. The Local Shared Objects are available in Flash Players starting from version 6.
{{Redirect2|Sol file|.sol file|mathematical data format|Sol (format)}}
{{Other uses|.sol (disambiguation){{!}}.sol}}
 
A '''local shared object''' ('''LSO'''), commonly called a '''Flash cookie''' (due to its similarity with an [[HTTP cookie]]), is a piece of data that websites that use [[Adobe Flash]] may store on a user's computer. Local shared objects have been used by all versions of [[Flash Player]] (developed by Macromedia, which was later acquired by [[Adobe Systems]]) since version 6.<ref name="adobe-lso">{{cite web
== Storage policy ==
|url = https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/articles/lso/
|title = What are local shared objects?
|work = Security and privacy
|publisher = [[Adobe Systems]]
|access-date = 2007-12-05
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100529082335/http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/articles/lso/
|archive-date = 2010-05-29
}}</ref>
 
Flash cookies, which can be stored or retrieved whenever a user accesses a page containing a Flash application, are a form of local storage. Similar to cookies, they can be used to store user preferences, save data from [[Flash game]]s, or track users' Internet activity.<ref>{{cite web|title=When the cookies crumbled, so did your web anonymity|language=en|website=The Guardian|date=2014-10-04|access-date=2023-12-28|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/05/cookies-crumbled-internet-anonymity|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230605133635/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/05/cookies-crumbled-internet-anonymity|archive-date=2023-06-05}}</ref> LSOs have been criticised as a breach of [[browser security]], but there are now browser settings and addons to limit the duration of their storage.
By default, any ___domain containing Flash applications, can store up to 100kb of data to user's hard drive (web browser cookies have a 4kb limit). The possible storage sizes are 0kb, 10kb, 100kb, 1Mb, 10Mb and Unlimited.
 
== Storage ==
If the current limit is exceeded, the user is shown a dialog requesting storage space of the next size. The user can manually override the amount by clicking the Flash application with right mouse button and selecting Settings - however, this applies only to the ___domain of the Flash movie. If the selected setting is smaller than the current data size, the data is deleted.
Local shared objects contain data stored by individual websites. Data is stored in the [[Action Message Format]]. With the default settings, the Flash Player does not seek the user's permission to store local shared objects on the hard disk. By default, an [[SWF]] application running in Flash Player from version 9 to 11 (as of Sept 1, 2011) may store up to {{nowrap|100 kB}} of data to the user's hard drive. If the application attempts to store more, a dialog asks the user whether to allow or deny the request.<ref name="adobe_sec_wp">{{cite web
|url = http://help.adobe.com/en_US/FlashPlatform/beta/reference/actionscript/3/flash/net/SharedObject.html
|title = ActionScript Documentation Reference for Adobe Flash Platform
|publisher=[[Adobe Systems]]
|date=2011-08-22
|access-date=2011-09-02
}}</ref>
 
Adobe Flash Player does not allow third-party local shared objects to be shared across [[___domain name|domains]]. For example, a local shared object from "www.example.com" cannot be read by the ___domain "www.example.net".<ref name="adobe-lso" /> However, the first-party website can always pass data to a third-party via some settings found in the dedicated [[XML]] file and passing the data in the request to the third party. Also, third-party LSOs are allowed to store data by default.<ref>{{cite web
The global LSO settings can be amended at Adobe's web site using the [http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html Global settings manager]. Using the manager, the LSO's can be turned off completely.
|url= https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/articles/thirdpartylso/
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100529082424/http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/articles/thirdpartylso/
|archive-date = 2010-05-29
|title = What Are Third-Party Local Shared Objects?
|work = Security and privacy
|publisher = Adobe Systems
|access-date = 2011-08-15
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url= http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/546/4c68e546.html
|title= How to disable third-party local shared objects
|work = Support
|publisher = Adobe Systems
|access-date = 2011-08-15
}}</ref> By default, LSO data is shared across browsers on the same machine. As an example:
 
* A visitor accesses a site using their Firefox browser, then views a page displaying a specific product, then closes the Firefox browser, the information about that product can be stored in the LSO.
== Storage ___location ==
* If that same visitor, using the same machine now opens an Internet Explorer browser and visits any page from the site viewed in Firefox, the site can read the LSO value(s) in the Internet Explorer browser, and display dynamic content or otherwise target the visitor.
 
This is distinct from cookies which have directory isolated storage paths for saved cookies while LSOs use a common directory path for all browsers on a single machine.
LSOs are stored in "SOL files" (typically, files with the extension "SOL"). String data, such as one's name, address, or social security number, are stored by default within SOL files as plain text, which means that the data can easily be read by any application with read access to the files.
 
=== Application to games ===
The default storage ___location for LSOs is operating-system dependent. For Windows XP, the ___location is within each user's Application Data directory, under Macromedia\Flash Player\#SharedObjects. Additional information is available at the Electronic Privacy Information Center's [http://www.epic.org/privacy/cookies/flash.html Local Shared Objects — "Flash Cookies"] page.
[[Flash games]] may use LSO files to store the user's personal game data, such as user preferences and actual game progress. Backing up files such as these requires some technical understanding of software. However, both browser updates and programs designed to remove unused files may delete this data.
 
To prevent cheating, games may be designed to render LSO files unusable if acquired from another ___location.
== Viewing and editing LSOs ==
 
== Privacy concerns ==
Tools to read and edit SOL files have emerged. Examples of non-Flash SOL-file editors and toolkits include: [http://solve.sourceforge.net SolVE], [http://www.alexisisaac.net .SOL Editor], and [http://dojotoolkit.org Dojo JavaScript Toolkit].
As with HTTP cookies, local shared objects can be used by websites to collect information on how people navigate them, although users have taken steps to restrict data collection.<ref name="networkworld">{{cite news
|url=http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/081109-study-adobe-flash-cookies-pose.html
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404201520/http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/081109-study-adobe-flash-cookies-pose.html
|archive-date=2014-04-04
|title=Study: Adobe Flash cookies pose vexing privacy questions
|work=[[Network World]]
|agency=IDG News Service
|publisher=Network World, Inc
|first = Jeremy
|last = Kirk
|date = 2009-08-11
|access-date=2009-04-10
}}</ref> Online banks, merchants, or advertisers may use local shared objects for tracking purposes.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160901743
|title = Flash Player Worries Privacy Advocates
|work = [[InformationWeek]]
|publisher = UBM Techweb
|first = Michael
|last = Cohn
|date = 2005-03-15
|access-date = 2007-12-05
}}</ref>
 
On 10 August 2009, [[Wired (magazine)|''Wired'' magazine]] reported that more than half of the top websites used local shared objects to track users and store information about them, but only four of them mentioned it in their privacy policy. "Flash cookies are relatively unknown to web users," the article said, "even if a user thinks they have cleared their computer of tracking objects, they most likely have not." The article further says that some websites use Flash cookies as hidden backups so that they can restore HTTP cookies deleted by users.<ref name="wired-you-deleted-your-cookies-think-again">{{cite magazine
== Criticisms ==
|url=https://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/08/you-deleted-your-cookies-think-again/
|title=You Deleted Your Cookies? Think Again
|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]
|publisher=Condé Nast Digital
|first = Ryan
|last = Singel
|access-date=2009-08-22
|date=2009-08-10
}}</ref>
 
According to the ''[[New York Times]]'', by July 2010 there had been at least five class-action lawsuits in the United States against media companies for using local shared objects.<ref>{{Cite news
Flash Player uses a [[Sandbox (security)|sandbox security model]], but, contrary to some definitions, the application does not ask the user's permission to store data on his hard disk. This may constitute a collection of cookie-like data that may include not only user-tracking information but any personal data that the user has entered in any Flash-enabled application, whether it be stand-alone or Web-based.
|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/technology/21cookie.html
|title = Code That Tracks Users' Browsing Prompts Lawsuits
|work = [[New York Times]]
|first = Tanzina
|last = Vega
|author-link = Tanzina Vega
|date = 2010-09-21
|access-date = 2011-05-05
}}</ref>
 
In certain countries, it is illegal to track users without their knowledge and consent. For example, in the United Kingdom, customers must consent to the use of cookies/local shared objects:<ref>{{Cite book
Reports of LSO exploitation by advertisers exist: [http://internetweek.cmp.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160901743 Flash Player Worries Privacy Advocates (''InternetWeek'')], [http://internetweek.cmp.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160400749 Company Bypasses Cookie-Deleting Consumers (''InternetWeek'')].
|chapter-url = http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/privacy_and_electronic/detailed_specialist_guides/pecr_guidance_part2_1206.pdf
|title = Guidance on the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003
|chapter = Part 2: Security, confidentiality, traffic and ___location data, itemised billing, CLI and directories
|edition = 3.4
|publisher = Information Commissioner’s Office
|___location = United Kingdom
|date = 2006-11-30
|access-date = 2011-05-05
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|url = http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/privacy_and_electronic_communications/the_guide/cookies.aspx
|title = Confidentiality of communications
|work = Guide to the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations
|publisher = Information Commissioner’s Office
|___location = United Kingdom
|access-date = 2011-05-05
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110224183417/http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/privacy_and_electronic_communications/the_guide/cookies.aspx
|archive-date = 2011-02-24
}}</ref>
{{cquote|Cookies or similar devices must not be used unless the subscriber or user of the relevant terminal equipment:
*is provided with clear and comprehensive information about the purposes of the storage of, or access to, that information; and
*is given the opportunity to refuse the storage of, or access to, that information.
|author=Information Commissioner's Office}}
 
Local shared objects were the first subject to be discussed in the [[Federal Trade Commission]] (FTC) roundtable in January 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/29/BUMN1BP4MN.DTL |title=All eyes on online privacy |author=James Temple |date=2010-01-29 |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=11 February 2011}}</ref> FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz has been talking with Adobe about what it describes as "the Flash problem."
Most web browser users do not realize that web pages do not have to offer any visible signs that a Flash application is running and accessing personal information stored in SOL files. It is difficult for the user to detect whether a Flash application is utilizing SOL files.
<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2010/12/04/ftc-says-its-talking-to-adobe-about-the-problem-with-flash-cook/ |title=FTC says it's talking to Adobe about the problem with 'Flash cookies' |author=Donald Melanson |date=2010-12-04 |publisher=Engadget |access-date=11 February 2011}}</ref>
 
=== User control ===
To this day, there is little public awareness of Adobe/Macromedia's hidden, proprietary-cookie LSOs, and no widespread, well-known utility-suite, anti-spyware, or anti-adware programs that address them. Users who delete traditional cookies with such programs may find those cookies resurrected because of Adobe/Macromedia's LSOs: [http://www.out-law.com/page-5502 Tool Can Resurrect Deleted Cookies (''Out-Law.com'')]. Since LSOs, unlike traditional cookies, have no expiration dates, the information resurrected in those cookies may persist indefinitely.
Users can disable local shared objects using the ''Global Storage Settings panel'' of the online Settings Manager at Adobe's website.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager03.html
|title=Global Storage Settings panel
|work = Flash Player Help
|publisher = Adobe Systems
|date = 2009-07-14
|access-date = 2011-05-05
}}</ref> However, this places a permanent flash cookie on the computer, informing all other websites that the user does not want flash cookies stored on their computer. Users can opt out of LSOs from specified sites from Flash Player's "Settings", accessed by right-clicking the Player, or using the ''Website Storage Settings'' panel; the latter also allows users to delete local shared objects.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager07.html
|title = Website Storage Settings panel
|work = Flash Player Help
|publisher = Adobe Systems
|date = 2009-07-14
|access-date = 2011-05-05
}}</ref>
 
Users may also delete local shared objects either manually or using third-party software. For instance, [[CCleaner]], a standalone computer program for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, allows users to delete local shared objects on demand. There is also a [[Add-on (Mozilla)|Firefox add-on]], Clear Flash Cookies, which will automatically clear out all LSOs each time the browser is restarted.<ref name="ClearFlashAddon">{{cite web|url=https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/clear-flash-cookies/|title=Clear Flash Cookies – Add-ons for Firefox|work=Firefox Add-ons|publisher=[[Mozilla]]|date=November 20, 2017|access-date=2018-09-29}}</ref>
 
Since version 10.3 of Flash, the Online Settings Manager (letting users configure privacy and security permissions via Adobe's website) is superseded by the Local Settings Manager on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. It can be accessed via the [[Control Panel (Windows)|Windows Control Panel]] or [[System Preferences|Mac OS System Preferences]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html
|title= Adobe - Flash Player : Settings Manager
|work = Flash Player Help
|publisher = Adobe Systems
|date = 2012-04-14
|access-date = 2012-04-14
}}</ref> Users of other operating systems still use the Adobe Online Settings Manager. Since at least April 2012 (v 11.2.202.233), updating by downloading a new Flash version resets the security and privacy settings to the defaults of allowing [[Web storage#Local and session storage|local storage]] and asking for media access again, which may be against users' wishes.
 
=== Browser control ===
{{Primary sources|section|date=March 2012}}
Browser control refers to the web browser's ability to delete local shared objects and to prevent the creation of persistent local shared objects when [[privacy mode]] is enabled. As for the former, [[Internet Explorer 8]], released on March 19, 2009,<ref name="Internet Explorer 8">{{Cite news
|url=http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/03-19-2009/0004991142&EDATE=
|title=Microsoft Announces Availability of Internet Explorer 8
|work=[[PR Newswire]]
|publisher=PR Newswire Association LLC
|___location=[[Redmond, Washington]]
|date=2009-03-19
|access-date=2011-05-05
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323020859/http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=%2Fwww%2Fstory%2F03-19-2009%2F0004991142&EDATE=
|archive-date=2009-03-23
}}</ref> implements an [[API]] that allows [[browser extension]]s to co-operate with the browser and delete their persistent data stored when user issues a ''Delete Browsing History'' command.<ref>{{cite news
|title=Deleting "Flash Cookies" Made Easier
|url=http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2011/05/03/deleting-flash-cookies-made-easier.aspx
|work=IEBlog
|agency=[[Microsoft TechNet#Blogs|TechNet Blogs]]
|publisher=Microsoft Corporation
|access-date=2011-05-05
|date=2011-05-03
}}</ref> However, two years passed since its introduction until Adobe, on March 7, 2011, announced that Flash Player v10.3, which was still in development at the time, supports co-operating with Internet Explorer 8 or later to delete local shared objects.<ref name="flash player 10.3 beta">{{cite news
|last=Imbert
|first=Thibault
|title=Introduced Flash Player 10.3 beta!
|url=http://blogs.adobe.com/flashplayer/2011/03/introducing-flash-player-10-3-beta.html
|access-date=2011-05-05
|newspaper=Adobe AIR and Adobe Flash Player Team Blog
|date=2011-03-07
|agency=Adobe Blogs
|publisher=[[Adobe Systems]]
|quote=Integration with browser privacy controls for managing local storage – Users will have a simpler way to clear local storage from the browser settings interface – similar to how users clear their browser cookies today.
}}</ref>
 
Also on January 5, 2011, Adobe Systems, [[Google Inc.]], and [[Mozilla Foundation]] finalized a new browser API (dubbed ''NPAPI ClearSiteData''). This will allow browsers implementing the API to clear local shared objects.<ref name="adobe late response">{{cite news
|url=http://blogs.adobe.com/flashplatform/2011/01/on-improving-privacy-managing-local-storage-in-flash-player.html
|title = On Improving Privacy: Managing Local Storage in Flash Player
|work = Adobe Flash Platform Blog
|agency = Adobe Blogs
|publisher = Adobe Systems
|first=Emmy
|last = Huang
|access-date = 2011-05-05
|date = 2011-01-12
|quote = Representatives from several key companies, including Adobe, Mozilla and Google have been working together to define a new browser API (NPAPI ClearSiteData) for clearing local data, which was approved for implementation on January 5th, 2011. Any browser that implements the API will be able to clear local storage for any plugin that also implements the API.
}}</ref> Four months later, Adobe announced that Flash Player 10.3 enables [[Mozilla Firefox 4]] and "future releases of [[Apple Safari]] and [[Google Chrome]]" to delete local shared objects,<ref name="flash player 10.3 beta"/> so since version 4, Firefox treats LSOs the same way as [[HTTP cookie]]s - deletion rules that previously applied only to HTTP cookies now also apply to LSOs.<ref name="firefox flash LSO semantic change implementation1">{{cite web
|url=https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=625495
|title = Bugzilla entry 625495 - Clear Adobe Flash Cookies (LSOs) when Clear Cookies is selected in the Privacy > Custom > Clear History
|author = Mike Beltzner
|access-date = 2011-09-28
|date = 2011-01-13
|quote = Change to the "on close" firefox behavior to use the new NPAPI ClearSiteData API.
}}</ref><ref name="firefox flash LSO semantic change implementation2">{{cite web
|url=https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=625496
|title = Bugzilla entry 625496 - Clear Adobe Flash Cookies (LSOs) when Cookies is selected in Clear Recent History
|author = Mike Beltzner
|access-date = 2011-09-28
|date = 2011-01-13
|quote = Change to the "clear recent history" firefox behavior to use the new NPAPI ClearSiteData API.
}}</ref> This caused loss of data and backward-incompatible flash application behavior<ref name="firefox flash LSO change loss of data">{{cite web
|url=https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=672107
|title = Bugzilla entry 672107 - Add configuration option to treat web cookies and flash shared local objects (LSOs) differently; destructive upgrade from older Firefox versions
|author = Claudio Fontana
|access-date = 2011-09-28
|date = 2011-07-17
|quote = Loss of data on upgrade bug report, feature request for treating [[HTTP Cookie]]s and Flash Local Shared Objects differently.
}}</ref> for those Firefox and Flash users who used HTTP cookies and Flash local shared objects for different goals. Mainly this affected flash gamers, who rely on Flash LSOs to store saved games.<ref name="all my saved games are gone discussion on kongregate">{{cite web
|url = http://www.kongregate.com/forums/7-technical-support/topics/181599-all-my-saved-games-are-gone?page=1
|title = All my saved games are gone
|access-date = 2011-09-28
|date = 2011-06-30
|quote = [[Kongregate]] discussion about users losing data as a result of the new browser behavior.
}}</ref><ref name="How ">{{cite web
|url = https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/823400
|title = Mozilla support question: How do I stop "delete cookies" from deleting saved games of a flash based game?
|access-date = 2011-09-28
|date = June 2011
|quote = Mozilla support question and follow-ups: How do I stop "delete cookies" from deleting saved games of a flash based game?
}}</ref> The resulting support requests cannot be solved favorably for [[Mozilla Firefox]] users without changes to the browser, because of the introduced equivalence between HTTP and flash cookies.<ref name="firefox flash LSO semantic change implementation1" /><ref name="firefox flash LSO semantic change implementation2" /> Currently, the workaround in use is to either configure the browser to never clear history data and cookies or to [[Reversion (software development)|revert]] the part of the changes affecting this use case, using third-party patches.<ref name="firefox flash LSO revert">{{cite web
|url = http://www.niceties.it/flash_LSO/flash_LSO.html
|title = firefox flash LSO revert patch
|author = Claudio Fontana
|access-date = 2011-09-28
|date = 2011-07-11
|quote = Third party patch to revert the firefox cookie semantic change
}}</ref>
 
As for the behavior in browser's privacy mode, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, released on June 10, 2010, supports the privacy modes of [[Internet Explorer]], [[Firefox|Mozilla Firefox]], [[Google Chrome]], and [[Safari (web browser)|Safari]]. Local shared objects created in privacy are discarded at the end of the session. Those created in a regular session are also not accessible in privacy mode.<ref name="adobe late response2">{{cite news
|url=http://blogs.adobe.com/flashplatform/2011/01/on-improving-privacy-managing-local-storage-in-flash-player.html
|title = On Improving Privacy: Managing Local Storage in Flash Player
|work = Adobe Flash Platform Blog
|agency = Adobe Blogs
|publisher = Adobe Systems
|first=Emmy
|last = Huang
|access-date = 2011-05-05
|date = 2011-01-12
|quote = The ability to clear local storage from the browser extends the work we did in Flash Player 10.1, which launched with a new private browsing feature integrated with the private browsing mode in major browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla's Firefox, Microsoft's Internet Explorer, and Apple's Safari.
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|last=Betlem
|first=Paul
|title=Flash Player 10.1 Now Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux
|url=http://blogs.adobe.com/flashplayer/2010/06/flash_player_101_now_available.html
|work=Adobe AIR and Adobe Flash Player Team Blog
|agency=Adobe Blogs
|publisher=Adobe Systems
|access-date=2011-05-07
|date=2010-06-10
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511095927/http://blogs.adobe.com/flashplayer/2010/06/flash_player_101_now_available.html
|archive-date=2011-05-11
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>
 
== Third-party software ==
 
=== Viewers and editors ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Software
! rowspan="2" | Developer
! rowspan="2" | Platform
! colspan="3" | Abilities
! rowspan="2" | First public release
! rowspan="2" | Latest stable version
! rowspan="2" | License
|-
! Read
! Write
! Format
|-
|[https://mariani.life/projects/minerva/ .minerva] ([https://github.com/gmariani/minerva GitHub])
| Gabriel Mariani
|[[Web platform]]
| {{Yes}} || {{Yes}} || AMF0/AMF3, JSON
| ~2008-07-15 (1.5.1)
| 4.1.1 (2015-01-10)
| {{Free|[[BSD License|BSD]]}}
|-
|[https://sourceforge.net/projects/soleditor/ .sol Editor]
| Alexis Isaac
|[[Windows]]
| {{Yes}} || {{Yes}} || AMF0
| Feb. 2005
| 1.1.0.1 (2005-02-21)
| {{Free|[[Mozilla Public Licence|MPL]]}}
|-
|[http://blog.sephiroth.it/projects/shared-object-reader/ SOLReader]
| Alessandro Crugnola
|[[Windows]]
| {{Yes}} || {{No}} || AMF0/AMF3
| 2007-10-25
| 1.0.0 (2007-10-25)
| {{dunno}}
|-
|FlashDevelop
| Mika Palmu, Philippe Elsass
|[[Windows]]
| {{Yes}} || {{No}} || AMF0/AMF3
| 2009-06-14 (3.0.0)
| 4.4.0 (2013-04-18)
| {{Free|[[MIT License|MIT]]}}
|-
|[http://solve.sourceforge.net SolVE]
|[http://www.darronschall.com/ Darron Schall]
|[[Windows]], [[macOS]]
| {{Yes}} || {{Yes}} || AMF0
| Nov. 2004
| 0.2 (2004-10-15)
| {{Free|[[Common Public License|CPL]]}}
|}
 
=== Libraries and frameworks ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Software
! rowspan="2" | Developer
! colspan="3" | Abilities
! rowspan="2" | First public release
! rowspan="2" | Latest stable version
! rowspan="2" | License
|-
! Read
! Write
! Format
|-
|[[Dojo Toolkit]]
|[[Dojo Foundation]]
| {{No}} || {{Yes}} || AMF0/AMF3 (in browser via Flash)
| 2004
| 1.9.0 (2013-05-01)
| {{Free|[[BSD License|BSD]], [[Academic Free License|AFL]]}}
|-
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20120722220148/http://www.pyamf.org/index.html PyAMF] ([https://github.com/hydralabs/pyamf/ GitHub]/[https://pypi.org/project/PyAMF/ PyPI])
| Nick Joyce
| {{Yes}} || {{Yes}} || AMF0/AMF3
| 2007-10-07
| 0.8.0 (2015-12-17)
| {{Free|[[MIT License|MIT]]}}
|-
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20100612234548/http://osflash.org/s2x s2x Open Source Flash]
| Aral Balkan
| {{Yes}} || {{Yes}} || AMF0, XML
| Dec. 2003
| 0.75 (Dec. 2003)
| {{Free|Freeware}}
|}
 
=== Cleaners ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
|-
! Software
! Developer
! Platform
! First public release
! Latest stable version
! License
|-
|[http://privacyscan.securemac.com/ PrivacyScan]
|[http://www.securemac.com SecureMac.com, Inc.]
|[[macOS 10.6]] - 10.10
| 2012-01-30
| 1.5
| {{Nonfree|[[Shareware]]}}
|-
|[http://www.writeitstudios.com/cookiestumbler.php Cookie Stumbler]
|[http://www.writeitstudios.com WriteIt! Studios Ltd.]
|[[macOS 10.8]] - 10.9
| 2011-04-01
| 2.1.2
| {{Nonfree|[[Shareware]]}}
|-
|[https://cookie5app.com Cookie]
|[http://sweetpproductions.com SweetP Productions]
|[[macOS 10.6]] - 10.10
| 2011
| 4.3.2
| {{Nonfree|[[Shareware]]}}
|-
|[http://sweetpproductions.com/safaricookies/index.htm Safari Cookies]
|[http://sweetpproductions.com SweetP Productions]
|[[macOS 10.5]] - 10.10
| 2009-04-12
| 2.0 (2014-10-27)
| {{Free|Freeware}}
|-
|[http://www.maxa-tools.com/cookie.php MAXA Cookie Manager]
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20071221091949/http://www.maxa-host.net/ Maxa Research]
|[[Windows]]
| {{dunno}}
| 5.3 (2011-12-11)
| {{Nonfree|[[Shareware]]}}
|-
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20140904041030/https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/clickclean/ Click&Clean]
|[http://www.mixesoft.com Vlad & Serge Strukoff]
|[[Windows]], [[macOS]], [[Linux]], [[BSD]], [[Firefox add-on]]
| 2010-01-23 (3.6.5.0)
| 4.1 (2013-03-16)
| {{Free|[[MIT License|MIT]]}}
|-
|[[CCleaner]]
|[[Piriform (company)]]
|[[Windows]]
| {{dunno}}
| {{dunno}}
| {{Nonfree|[[Freemium]]}}
|}
 
==See also==
* [[HTTP cookie]]
* [[Evercookie]]
* [[Web storage]]
* [[Indexed Database API]]
* [[Web SQL Database]]
* [[Google Gears]]
* [[Device fingerprint]]
* [[Canvas fingerprinting]]
 
== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}
 
== External links ==
* [http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager08.html Adobe's online tool] on its Web site to erase Flash cookies and manage Flash player settings
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140504222526/http://www.adobe.com/security/flashplayer/articles/lso/ What are local shared objects?], Adobe Flash Player security and privacy help
* {{cite web | url = http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/04/177238| publisher=[[Slashdot]] | title=New Technique for Tracking Web Site Visitors| date=2005-04-04| access-date=2007-12-05}}
* {{cite web| url=http://www.informit.com/guides/content.aspx?g=security&seqNum=276| title=Tracking with Flash Cookies| publisher=[[InformIT (publisher)|InformIT]]| date=2007-10-05| access-date=2007-12-05| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214123050/http://www.informit.com/guides/content.aspx?g=security&seqNum=276| archive-date=2007-12-14| url-status=dead}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080704173515/http://tips.webdesign10.com/flash-cookies-privacy How to block Flash cookies]
* [http://epic.org/privacy/cookies/flash.html Electronic Privacy Information Center on "Local Shared Objects"]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10787882 Legal action on 'zombie cookies' filed in US court]
 
{{Adobe Flash}}
 
[[Category:Adobe Flash]]
[[Category:Internet privacy]]
[[Category:Surveillance]]