Adobe Reader Zero Day Vulnerability

Anupam · 15. Dec 2009, 05:18 PM

Yet another Adobe Reader zero day vulnerability has been found. This affects all versions of Adobe Reader, and Acrobat too. The vulnerability has been found with a javascript function.

Details, and how to turn off javascript inside Adobe Reader here :

http://www.ghacks.net/2009/12/15/ano...y-in-the-wild/

Anupam · 15. Dec 2009, 05:21 PM

All users of Adobe Reader and Acrobat are advised to turn off javascript as guided in the above link... or better yet, shift to other pdf readers available like PdfXchange Viewer, or Foxit Reader. They are not bloated as the Adobe Reader, and are secure too.

wolfstr · 16. Dec 2009, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anupam

All users of Adobe Reader and Acrobat are advised to turn off javascript as guided in the above link... or better yet, shift to other pdf readers available like PdfXchange Viewer, or Foxit Reader. They are not bloated as the Adobe Reader, and are secure too.

Thanks for the tip. I uninstalled Adobe and installed Foxit with out the toolbar, and it works great. Have to be careful when installing it though because the toolbar is actually the "ask" toolbar.

Anupam · 17. Dec 2009, 11:05 AM

Yes, Foxit Reader now includes the Ask toolbar, so have to be careful while installation. I use PdfXchange though... I like it more.

20. Dec 2009, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anupam

Yes, Foxit Reader now includes the Ask toolbar, so have to be careful while installation. I use PdfXchange though... I like it more.

PDF-Xviewer is my favorite too. Great quality and fast performance. I have not used Adobe reader in 3 or 4 years.

Anupam · 20. Dec 2009, 09:53 AM

On my small hard disk where space matters, I use Sumatra Pdf Reader. Works really well, and the latest version has shown great improvement.

wolfstr · 21. Dec 2009, 04:18 AM

This is interesting regarding adobe and other window's programs and firefox http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal...acked-software

Anupam · 21. Dec 2009, 05:12 AM

Thanks for the link. Very interesting read indeed. Adobe Reader has surely been full of vulnerabilities, and after reading that article, I think more and more people should revert to other non-Adobe pdf readers. Adobe Reader is really unsafe.

In the list, they forgot yet another Adobe product... Adobe Flash Player. It is also full of security bugs, and another product for which I would like to see an alternative. The flash player is still heavily used on the web, and poses a threat. Just recently, flash player had been reported to have un-patchable vulnerability, about which I had posted on the forum too.

26Dolphins · 21. Dec 2009, 03:05 PM

Hi,

Turned my back to Adobe Reader a long time ago and took all my friends & family with me.
I only regret taking so long to quit it and try PDF-Xviewer, which has really won me over.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anupam

... Adobe Flash Player. It is also full of security bugs, and another product for which I would like to see an alternative. The flash player is still heavily used on the web, and poses a threat. Just recently, flash player had been reported to have un-patchable vulnerability, about which I had posted on the forum too.

I totally agree, can't wait to see an alternative for Adobe Flash Player - anyone heard anything about it? Till then the best we can do is disable Flash globally and allow selectively - though even that seems to be a risk as more & more trusted sites get attacked.

Thanks,
26Dolphins

Anupam · 21. Dec 2009, 07:05 PM

Adobe Flash is really widely used on the internet, and so far has no alternative. Yes, there is Silverlight, but still not widely accepted.

Problem is, now more and more sites are using flash... so its hard to block flash globally. On some site or the other, you will have to enable it to use the site properly. Youtube for example, requires flash player, so do other video sites. I am looking forward to Firefox 3.6 which uses HTML 5 to show videos. Atleast that will eliminate flash there.

But, I don't see flash being replaced by anything else in near future... yet.

Here's another link similar to what wolfstr posted earlier, but in some more detail :

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10417785-83.html

15. Dec 2009, 05:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
Anupam Moderator Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 9,484	Adobe Reader Zero Day Vulnerability Yet another Adobe Reader zero day vulnerability has been found. This affects all versions of Adobe Reader, and Acrobat too. The vulnerability has been found with a javascript function. Details, and how to turn off javascript inside Adobe Reader here : http://www.ghacks.net/2009/12/15/ano...y-in-the-wild/ __________________ Anupam

15. Dec 2009, 05:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
Anupam Moderator Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 9,484	All users of Adobe Reader and Acrobat are advised to turn off javascript as guided in the above link... or better yet, shift to other pdf readers available like PdfXchange Viewer, or Foxit Reader. They are not bloated as the Adobe Reader, and are secure too. __________________ Anupam

17. Dec 2009, 11:05 AM	#4 (permalink)
Anupam Moderator Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 9,484	Yes, Foxit Reader now includes the Ask toolbar, so have to be careful while installation. I use PdfXchange though... I like it more. __________________ Anupam

20. Dec 2009, 09:53 AM	#6 (permalink)
Anupam Moderator Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 9,484	On my small hard disk where space matters, I use Sumatra Pdf Reader. Works really well, and the latest version has shown great improvement. __________________ Anupam

21. Dec 2009, 05:12 AM	#8 (permalink)
Anupam Moderator Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 9,484	Thanks for the link. Very interesting read indeed. Adobe Reader has surely been full of vulnerabilities, and after reading that article, I think more and more people should revert to other non-Adobe pdf readers. Adobe Reader is really unsafe. In the list, they forgot yet another Adobe product... Adobe Flash Player. It is also full of security bugs, and another product for which I would like to see an alternative. The flash player is still heavily used on the web, and poses a threat. Just recently, flash player had been reported to have un-patchable vulnerability, about which I had posted on the forum too. __________________ Anupam

21. Dec 2009, 04:18 AM	#7 (permalink)
wolfstr Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: The Great White North Posts: 226	This is interesting regarding adobe and other window's programs and firefox http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal...acked-software

21. Dec 2009, 07:05 PM	#10 (permalink)
Anupam Moderator Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 9,484	Adobe Flash is really widely used on the internet, and so far has no alternative. Yes, there is Silverlight, but still not widely accepted. Problem is, now more and more sites are using flash... so its hard to block flash globally. On some site or the other, you will have to enable it to use the site properly. Youtube for example, requires flash player, so do other video sites. I am looking forward to Firefox 3.6 which uses HTML 5 to show videos. Atleast that will eliminate flash there. But, I don't see flash being replaced by anything else in near future... yet. Here's another link similar to what wolfstr posted earlier, but in some more detail : http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10417785-83.html __________________ Anupam

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode