Adobe products most targeted by malware

[Jan]

Adobe products the number one target for malware

Adobe products are currently the primary target for hackers and virus writers worldwide.

According to Kaspersky Lab, Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader have become the primary vehicle for malware, due to their prevalence and multi-platform capabilities. They report that malicious PDF documents may contain JavaScript which vulnerable versions of the software will execute and launch other pieces of malware direct from the Internet.

 

[grok]

.. but not on the iPhone!

 

[hawker]

Well here is another reason Apple doesn't want adobe on their platforms.

 

[_TrXtR_]

Well here is another reason Apple doesn't want adobe on their platforms.

As much as I dislike apple... yeah, i think I like adobe allot less, so I will concur while still reserving my right to bash apple. I have avoided updating adobe applications for the last while.
But something that got me thinking last night was, adobe reader, has gone backwards from the good ol days like when adobe reader 3 was around and working. They are taking their most basic applications and filling it with so much junk and then it doesnt even work properly. The latest adobe reader can barely view a document properly in browser for me. Which is maybe better that way.

 

[hawker]

As much as I dislike apple... yeah, i think I like adobe allot less, so I will concur while still reserving my right to bash apple. I have avoided updating adobe applications for the last while.
But something that got me thinking last night was, adobe reader, has gone backwards from the good ol days like when adobe reader 3 was around and working. They are taking their most basic applications and filling it with so much junk and then it doesnt even work properly. The latest adobe reader can barely view a document properly in browser for me. Which is maybe better that way.

I agree, everything after adobe reader 7 has been a fail for me. I switched to Foxit reader on windows, it opens almost instantly and it is reliable.

 

[Antonf]

I agree, everything after adobe reader 7 has been a fail for me. I switched to Foxit reader on windows, it opens almost instantly and it is reliable.

NitroPDF is a miracle and the fact that you can edit PDF with it makes it even better...

 

[MidnightWizard]

Adobe Replacements

For the lazy ones

NitroPDF READER ( FREE)

Foxit PDF READER (FREE)

You can of course also obtain the FULL packages from those sites.
and
This one --> NitroPDF Professional (NOT Free)

As always -- bringing you more for less

 

[hawker]

NitroPDF is a miracle and the fact that you can edit PDF with it makes it even better...

*Goes to investigate NitroPDF*

 

[murraybiscuit]

As always -- bringing you more for less

rofl. will check out nitro. hi 5.
adobe = bloatware. it's been like that for a while now.
why windows doesn't have a pdf driver is beyond me. honestly, ghostscript is gpl... am i missing something?
who has ever used xps? anybody?? no hands?

 

[BigAl-sa]

Unfortunately, SARS in their wisdom, decided to use Acrobat 9's formfilling feature for tax returns, so if you want to use e-filing...

 

[ToAsTeD]

Unfortunately, SARS in their wisdom, decided to use Acrobat 9's formfilling feature for tax returns, so if you want to use e-filing...

Indeed

 

[davemc]

I don't understand the opening post.

What exactly is malware doing to the products of Adobe?
Is malware attaching itself to my Flash Editor?

or

The more likely situation, Is malware finding itself in posted "cracked" versions of Adobe software? (More than likely put there by Adobe staff)

What an absolutely useless factually fact-less opening post.

 

[murraybiscuit]

What exactly is malware doing to the products of Adobe?
Is malware attaching itself to my Flash Editor?

Adding together two families of exploits targeting Adobe products, Exploit.Win32.Pdfka and Exploit.Win32.Pidief, accounts for a total of 47.5% of all detected exploits. Kaspersky says that these exploits are PDF documents containing Javascript that, without the user’s knowledge or consent, download and launch other pieces of malware direct from the Internet.

unfortunately, most people think that 'acrobat' (product) and 'adobe' (company) are synonymous. this is where the confusion comes in.

 

[davemc]

What is a detected exploit?

An actual "hey, we found a virus", or just a "hey, here is a potential for something to attach itself" ?

 

[murraybiscuit]

i presume that kapersky, like most av products, uses an opt-in-by-default reporting tool which notifies them when viruses have been found on the host os.
it is therefore a detected exploit rather than a vulnerability.

 

[Jan]

I don't understand the opening post.

What exactly is malware doing to the products of Adobe?
Is malware attaching itself to my Flash Editor?

or

The more likely situation, Is malware finding itself in posted "cracked" versions of Adobe software? (More than likely put there by Adobe staff)

None of the above.

Kaspersky specifically mentioned exploits in Acrobat and Acrobat Reader that allow hackers to basically take control of the machine that opens a malicious PDF. To me that sounds like an arbitrary code execution exploit.

I'll edit the OP.