 How to protect yourself from the Adobe Reader PDF JavaScript Vulnerability |
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 Mar 8 2009, 04:29 PM
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#61
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Member  Group: Members Posts: 82 Joined: 10-February 09 Member No.: 294,170  |
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Mar 11 2009, 02:18 PM
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#62
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Member Group: Members Posts: 82 Joined: 10-February 09 Member No.: 294,170 |
Wasn't the official patch released today? Not that it really matters though since Foxit Reader is doing the job just as well and faster than Adobe Reader.
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Mar 12 2009, 05:58 PM
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#63
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Member Group: Members Posts: 82 Joined: 10-February 09 Member No.: 294,170 |
Okay, so far I have been happy with Foxit Reader...but I just discovered that Foxit doesn't open ALL PDF files. There are a couple of sites where I tried to download/open a PDF file, and Foxit wouldn't open it.
But I downloaded the new updated Adobe Reader 9.1 onto my mom's computer, and the PDF file opened without a problem. I guess I'll have to un-install Foxit and go back to Adobe now so I'll be able to download ALL PDF files. |
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Mar 12 2009, 09:08 PM
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#64
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 Who is running the store? Group: Members Posts: 2,429 Joined: 26-November 05 From: Tampa Bay Area, Florida, USA Member No.: 42,052 |
-KiKi-
Could you provide links to those PDFs that wouldn't load? Did you download them and then try to open them, or try to load them directly off the websites? --------------------  I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant! |
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Mar 13 2009, 12:21 AM
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#65
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Member Group: Members Posts: 82 Joined: 10-February 09 Member No.: 294,170 |
QUOTE(JohnWho @ Mar 12 2009, 09:08 PM)  -KiKi- Could you provide links to those PDFs that wouldn't load? Did you download them and then try to open them, or try to load them directly off the websites? I tried to load it directly from the site. I clicked the link of the PDF, and it never loaded, but when I did it with Adobe, it opened without a problem. |
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Mar 13 2009, 02:43 PM
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#66
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Who is running the store? Group: Members Posts: 2,429 Joined: 26-November 05 From: Tampa Bay Area, Florida, USA Member No.: 42,052 |
For testing purposes, would you download one or each of them to your HD and see if Foxit could open them from your HD?
Just wondering. -------------------- I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant! |
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Mar 13 2009, 03:57 PM
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#67
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 510 Joined: 13-January 09 Member No.: 282,146 |
Bookmarking ,as I was not previously aware of this problem and have now changed MY Adobe Reader settings
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Mar 13 2009, 05:37 PM
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#68
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Member Group: Members Posts: 82 Joined: 10-February 09 Member No.: 294,170 |
QUOTE(JohnWho @ Mar 13 2009, 02:43 PM) For testing purposes, would you download one or each of them to your HD and see if Foxit could open them from your HD? Just wondering. I don't know what was going on when I tried to load the PDF directly from the site with Foxit, but I just tried it again and it worked. I also saved the PDF to my hard drive and tried opening it with Foxit, and it worked also. I don't know what the problem was yesterday, but everything appears to be okay now. So using Adobe or Foxit is okay...depends on which one you would rather use. They're both just fine.
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Mar 13 2009, 07:37 PM
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#69
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Who is running the store? Group: Members Posts: 2,429 Joined: 26-November 05 From: Tampa Bay Area, Florida, USA Member No.: 42,052 |
OK, thanks.
-------------------- I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant! |
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| Jay-P VIP |
Mar 13 2009, 09:17 PM
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#70
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Guests |
Foxit reader is so amazingly better than Adobe Reader. The speed, and quickness of the features is well done in Foxit. Why not Adobe Reader?
Adobe created the Portable Document Format long ago! |
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 Mar 15 2009, 02:51 AM
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#71
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 Member Group: Members Posts: 53 Joined: 18-November 08 From: Northern California Member No.: 257,901 |
TAKE EXTRA CAUTION IF INSTALL OR UPDATE FOXIT READER AS ALTERNATIVE TO ADOBE READER!
Hello all. I happened to notice a news bulletin (on the login page to BC, I think) concerning the Adobe Reader vulnerability a couple weeks ago. I thought I was "hot stuff" for finding out the vulnerability and telling others about it, especially when you alerted us about the zero-day vulnerability...thus suggesting removing Abode Reader until the situation got straightened out. Knowing nothing about PDF reader alternatives, I saw only positive reviews about Foxit Reader, and downloaded it. Despite all the opting in & out of toolbars and all other sorts of things in the installation process, to the best of my knowledge, everything was okay for several days from a security standpoint. Then I ran FileHippo's Update Checker (I think, although may have been similar type of application), which alerted me to an update to Foxit Reader. I did not--unless I am crazy (actually, quite possible) or have early-onset dementia--agree to install anything other than the Foxit Reader update. My routine running of SuperAntiSpyware detected the following on my machine: Adware.MyWebSearch/FunWebProducts HKCR\CLSID\{9AFB8248-617F-460d-9366-D71CDEDA3179} HKCR\CLSID\{9AFB8248-617F-460d-9366-D71CDEDA3179}\TreatAs A Google search revealed that a lot of users have found this on their machines as well over the last several months. The problem is that, despite reading many forums, there seems to be no consensus about what exactly this is,, what type of damage it can do, and importantly, how to remove it. Most, if not all, users who allowed SAS to delete it reported that it was found again during the subsequent scan. And, as is the case for me, these were not found by AVG 8.5, AdAware AE, or MBAM. So I have no idea whether it is a false positive, a bad bug that happened to be caught only by SAS, or a Sasquatch, and consequently, what actions to take. By the way, I did find a link between Nero and the above bug, but I have never installed Nero, but if my jumbled memory serves me, one user stated that there was some link between Nero and the Ask Toolbar, which is one of the many features that CAN be installed along with Foxit Reader, although I believe I only have Google and Windows Live toolbars, the latter not even enabled. I realize that this not the area to ask for help, and I'm not necessarily asking for help, but I am now thoroughly confused a couple weeks after thinking I had finally figured something out. And since my problem is an indirect result of following the advice given here, I am certain others may have similar questions and concerns. Hence the thinking behind posting it here. (By the way, absolutely no blame being heaped your direction in any way, shape, or form.) Is anyone else finding malware when installing/updating Foxit Reader? Is it safe now to reinstall Adobe Reader, as I didn't see any explicit statement on this forum stating that the "fix" for the vulnerability is sufficient? (And, for that matter, it appears that almost everyone becomes grouchy at the mention of Abode Reader anyway, referring to it as bloatware. So even if it is secure, is it the best free PDF reader out there?) The other alternatives mentioned in this topic all seemed to have major limitations or drawbacks, too. So I'm sort of at a crossroads and could use some advice from the folks who know what the heck they are doing and whom I trust--as opposed to posts from random people whose identity, credentials, motives, etc. are unknown to me. Sorry for being long-winded, but I've just spent a huge chunk of time dealing with the possible malware as well as trying to find the best free PDF reader out there as to avoid possibly getting another bug when installing it, just to find its functionality is suboptimal. I would appreciate the advice of one of the moderators or administrators to at least tell me whether I should post in another forum or address my issues here. Thanks so much and continue the great work! black069 -------------------- |
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Mar 15 2009, 03:08 AM
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#72
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 "Bleepin' Aussie Addict" Group: Members Posts: 2,502 Joined: 14-October 06 From: SYDNEY-AUSTRALIA Member No.: 90,018 |
Adobe has issued a fix for the Zero Day vulnerability,in Adobe Reader 9,and Acrobat 9.
Also In its advisory, Adobe said it plans to provide security updates for Adobe Reader 7 and 8 and Acrobat 7 and 8 by March 18 and for Adobe Reader 9.1 for Unix by March 25. EDIT. I have Foxit Reader,and have no issues.I believe the Adware, is from the ASK Toolbar, that people don't uncheck during installation. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10193218-83.html This post has been edited by DSTM: Mar 15 2009, 03:25 AM -------------------- |
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| Jay-P VIP |
Mar 15 2009, 04:27 AM
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#73
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Guests |
Hello friends!
Uncheck the install for the toolbar, friends. As discussed earlier in this topic by Red Dawn and I--it once seemed that allowing Ask toolbar to be installed shows it to be crippleware. Foxit Reader is not crippleware. Ask toolbar, and several other toolbars may inflict vulnerabilities on themself, which are not at all related to a software. |
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Mar 15 2009, 02:44 PM
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#74
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Member Group: Members Posts: 82 Joined: 10-February 09 Member No.: 294,170 |
QUOTE(black069 @ Mar 15 2009, 02:51 AM) TAKE EXTRA CAUTION IF INSTALL OR UPDATE FOXIT READER AS ALTERNATIVE TO ADOBE READER! Hello all. I happened to notice a news bulletin (on the login page to BC, I think) concerning the Adobe Reader vulnerability a couple weeks ago. I thought I was "hot stuff" for finding out the vulnerability and telling others about it, especially when you alerted us about the zero-day vulnerability...thus suggesting removing Abode Reader until the situation got straightened out. Knowing nothing about PDF reader alternatives, I saw only positive reviews about Foxit Reader, and downloaded it. Despite all the opting in & out of toolbars and all other sorts of things in the installation process, to the best of my knowledge, everything was okay for several days from a security standpoint. Then I ran FileHippo's Update Checker (I think, although may have been similar type of application), which alerted me to an update to Foxit Reader. I did not--unless I am crazy (actually, quite possible) or have early-onset dementia--agree to install anything other than the Foxit Reader update. My routine running of SuperAntiSpyware detected the following on my machine: Adware.MyWebSearch/FunWebProducts HKCR\CLSID\{9AFB8248-617F-460d-9366-D71CDEDA3179} HKCR\CLSID\{9AFB8248-617F-460d-9366-D71CDEDA3179}\TreatAs A Google search revealed that a lot of users have found this on their machines as well over the last several months. The problem is that, despite reading many forums, there seems to be no consensus about what exactly this is,, what type of damage it can do, and importantly, how to remove it. Most, if not all, users who allowed SAS to delete it reported that it was found again during the subsequent scan. And, as is the case for me, these were not found by AVG 8.5, AdAware AE, or MBAM. So I have no idea whether it is a false positive, a bad bug that happened to be caught only by SAS, or a Sasquatch, and consequently, what actions to take. By the way, I did find a link between Nero and the above bug, but I have never installed Nero, but if my jumbled memory serves me, one user stated that there was some link between Nero and the Ask Toolbar, which is one of the many features that CAN be installed along with Foxit Reader, although I believe I only have Google and Windows Live toolbars, the latter not even enabled. I realize that this not the area to ask for help, and I'm not necessarily asking for help, but I am now thoroughly confused a couple weeks after thinking I had finally figured something out. And since my problem is an indirect result of following the advice given here, I am certain others may have similar questions and concerns. Hence the thinking behind posting it here. (By the way, absolutely no blame being heaped your direction in any way, shape, or form.) Is anyone else finding malware when installing/updating Foxit Reader? Is it safe now to reinstall Adobe Reader, as I didn't see any explicit statement on this forum stating that the "fix" for the vulnerability is sufficient? (And, for that matter, it appears that almost everyone becomes grouchy at the mention of Abode Reader anyway, referring to it as bloatware. So even if it is secure, is it the best free PDF reader out there?) The other alternatives mentioned in this topic all seemed to have major limitations or drawbacks, too. So I'm sort of at a crossroads and could use some advice from the folks who know what the heck they are doing and whom I trust--as opposed to posts from random people whose identity, credentials, motives, etc. are unknown to me. Sorry for being long-winded, but I've just spent a huge chunk of time dealing with the possible malware as well as trying to find the best free PDF reader out there as to avoid possibly getting another bug when installing it, just to find its functionality is suboptimal. I would appreciate the advice of one of the moderators or administrators to at least tell me whether I should post in another forum or address my issues here. Thanks so much and continue the great work! black069 Even though Foxit seems like a perfectly good PDF reader(the best feature of it being that it loads super fast), I un-installed it and re-installed it after Adobe announced on their site that the vulnerability ws fixed, but I didn't install Adobe Reader since Foxit seemed to be working just fine and better. But I had an incident where I tried to load a PDF directly from a particular site the other day, and Foxit wouldn't load the PDF at all. I was under the impression from what everyone else told me that Foxit loads ALL PDF's. I also went to another site and tried to load a different PDF, and again, Foxit would not load it. So I decided to go to my mom's computer and try to load it with Foxit to see if maybe it was my computer that was having the problem. The PDF'S wouldn't with Foxit on my mom's computer either. So I un-installed Foxit from my mom's computer, then installed Adobe Reader on her computer. When I went back to load the PDF with Adobe, they loaded without a problem! So it pretty much looked to me like Foxit was definitely the problem. So the next day, I attempted to load the PDF on my computer again with Foxit, and it loaded without a problem. I don't know why it wouldn't load the day prior to that, but it loaded the next day. So I assumed it was just a server issue or something that day, and that nothing is wrong with Foxit after all. I decided to un-install Foxit anyway and go back to using Adobe since that is was I'm used to. I hate that it takes FOREVER to install Adobe, but I'm back to using it again. When I had Foxit, neither McAfee, SAS, MBAM nor Ad-Aware 2008 detected anything, but I never installed a Foxit update either. (NOTE: If I were you, I would un-install Ad-Aware as soon as possible. That program is full of crap...you'll find out either sooner or later if you don't un-install it. Many people on here have had problems with Ad-Aware and if you go to Ad-Aware's support forums, you will see how many people are upset and complaining a lot about it also. Just stick with your antivirus program, SAS, and MBAM. They'll do the trick.) But bottom line....just go back to Adobe...it's safe now. |
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