It looks like Adobe has introduced a new auto-update feature in the latest version (11.2) of Flash.
Outdated versions of 3rd party applications such as Flash, Acrobat Reader, Java, etc. create security holes which can be exploited. In recent months, a Java exploit has led to over half a million infected Macs.
The new auto-update feature for Flash Player is an overdue, but much welcomed addition. This is one of the little pop-up/nags many just close out of and rightfully so. It’s nice to see the software finally reinforce this itself, instead of relying on the end-user to install new updates.