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Adobe Download Manager Installing Software Without Consent

Posted by timothy on from the plus-one-invitation dept.

"Not all is worth cheering about as Adobe turns 20," writes reader adeelarshad82, who excerpts from a story at PC Magazine's Security Watch: "Researcher Aviv Raff has found a problem in ADM (Adobe Download Manager) and the method through which it is delivered from adobe.com. The net effect of the problem is that a user can be tricked into downloading and installing software using ADM without actual consent. Tonight Adobe acknowledged the report and said they were working on the issue with Raff and NOS Microsystems, the company that wrote ADM."

7 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Bonjour by sopssa · · Score: 4, Informative

    Bonjour is just as bad. It scans your LAN constantly, takes A LOT resources and provides nothing good. And it's installed without asking you along any Adobe product.

    1. Re:Bonjour by MonTemplar · · Score: 4, Informative

      To be fair to Apple, they only did that the one time - and learnt their lesson *really* quickly! Now it shows up in Apple Software Update, but un-ticked.

      Which is fine by me, as I don't have any need for Safari. Already have Firefox for day-to-day browsing, Chrome for testing, and IE for just remote access to work.

      -MT.

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      -MT.
    2. Re:Bonjour by MichaelJ · · Score: 4, Informative

      What the heck are you talking about? Bonjour is a service discovery protocol (mDNS) server and client library. It doesn't pop up anything, and it certainly doesn't install software. If you have a complaint it's with either the Apple Software Update, or some other software update product.

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      Michael J.
      Root, God, what is difference?
  2. Disable by Itninja · · Score: 5, Informative

    I noticed this a few days ago and had enough. I found the KB article the spells out how to disable and wrote it up here.

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    I judt got a nre Kinesis keybiartf so please excusr ant egregiou typos.
  3. DLM? No thank you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've always distrusted Adobe simply for pushing the Google Toolbar, or these days McAfee. An easy way to get Reader or Flash without getting stuck with their stupid and unnecessary DLM is to cancel the first download, and then "click here if your download doesn't start". That way you only get the installer you wanted, not all the other crap they're trying to push on you.

  4. A minor nit by cpt+kangarooski · · Score: 5, Informative

    Adobe is about 28 this year. It's Photoshop that is 20.

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    -- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
  5. Re:Free software by couchslug · · Score: 4, Informative

    "Anyway to get them for "force" a free download of PhotoShop?"

    No, but blocking the proper entries in your hosts file as someone might do who didn't want Adobe warez "phoning home" would take care of unwanted "updates" nicely.

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    "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."