A Flash movie can trigger a file download using getURL("file.exe", "_top", "GET") without triggering IE’s Information Bar (the “GoldBar” that warns about downloads). The download simply starts — no prompt, no bar, no indication to the user.

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<h2>ByPass_GoldBar_Downloading_Files_Flash_getURL</h2>
I know this is not an IE bug, but because Flash actually comes with IE, I assume we can speak with Adobe guys to fix this issue:<br /><br />
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From inside a .swf file, call getURL with the disired file/url to download.<br />
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<b>Code Inside the Flash</b>:<br />
getURL("sol.exe", "_top", "GET");
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<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="10" height="10" id="flash" align="middle"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /><param name="movie" value="flash.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" /></object>
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IE’s Information Bar activates when the browser’s download manager intercepts a file download. Flash’s getURL call routes the navigation through a different code path that bypasses the download manager entirely, so the file transfer starts without any user warning. This entry includes a compiled .swf file.

Found during my years at Microsoft (2006–2014). These bugs were patched long ago — shared here as a historical record for learning purposes.