Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Latest Adobe Acrobat Reader Update Silently Installs Chrome Extension (bleepingcomputer.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the did-you-hear-something dept.

An anonymous reader writes: The latest Adobe Acrobat Reader security update (15.023.20053), besides delivering security updates, also secretly installs the Adobe Acrobat extension in the user's Chrome browser. There is no mention of this "special package" on Acrobat's changelog, and surprise-surprise, the extension comes with anonymous data collection turned on by default. Bleeping Computer reports: "This extension allows users to save any web page they're on as a PDF file and share it or download it to disk. The extension is also Windows-only, meaning Mac and Linux Chrome users will not receive it. The extension requests the following permissions: Read and change all your data on the websites you visit; Manage your downloads; Communicate with cooperating native applications. According to Adobe, extension users 'share information with Adobe about how [they] use the application. The information is anonymous and will help us improve product quality and features,' Adobe also says. 'Since no personally identifiable information is collected, the anonymous data will not be meaningful to anyone outside of Adobe.'"

14 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. sure I believe you by supernova87a · · Score: 4, Funny

    Certainly trustworthy! "Since no one but people at Adobe designed this, certainly no one in the wide world of hackers, exploit finders, and data sifters would ever be able to decipher and extract anything interesting from this data. I mean, we're just sending this meaningless data back to Adobe for shits and giggles, it's useless information! By the way, I heard that anonymous means that we just don't record your IP address right?"

  2. Chrome is smarter than that. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    When you open chrome It will note the new extension and ask if you want to enable it or remove it.

    1. Re:Chrome is smarter than that. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Chrome may be smart, but the users may not be. A whole lot of people will just click "Yes" or "Enable" or whatever the dialog says.

  3. Funny by no-body · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yesterday or two days ago, Chrome prompted me if want to install something from Adobe, most likely extensions and I clicked no since I did not like those popups. Now looking at chrome://extensions/ - nothing like that there to see.
    What gives?

    1. Re:Funny by simcop2387 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      That'd be chrome protecting you from this shit. they've gotten pretty good at detecting and preventing these kinds of drive by installs.

    2. Re:Funny by fisternipply · · Score: 5, Informative

      That was it. My chrome did the same thing not more than two hours ago...which means Acrobat updated itself silently. Which pisses me off. Now, what pisses me off even worse is that it's hard to turn off auto-update in Acrobat Reader DC and requires either editing the registry or downloading and installing another adobe preference manager program (link to help article: https://forums.adobe.com/threa...). And even worse, the data collection was checked by default. A-holes.

  4. The good news ... by Langalf · · Score: 5, Informative

    The good news is when I fired up Chrome, it asked me if I wanted to remove this unwanted extension.

  5. Best News = No News by BoRegardless · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't use Adobe anymore, PERIOD.

    1. Re:Best News = No News by fisternipply · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Not an option for everyone.

  6. USE THIS by JBMcB · · Score: 4, Interesting

    https://www.sumatrapdfreader.o...

    Small. Fast. Loads DjVu and some E-Reader formats as well. No spyware.

    --
    My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
  7. Re:Foxit instead by Billly+Gates · · Score: 4, Informative

    Foxit comes with malware which installs toolbars. It's worse than Adobe

    --
    http://saveie6.com/
  8. Re:Foxit instead by MeanE · · Score: 5, Informative

    Sumatra is fast, light and crap free.

    https://www.sumatrapdfreader.o...

  9. Re:Foxit instead by Luthair · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Chrome also offers pretty good native PDF support, so why even bother having more software installed.

  10. Re:Foxit instead by ckatko · · Score: 4, Informative

    At least throw a damn citation out.

    Only thing I can see is version 6.1.4 (2014) of FoxIt had malware. But it was removed afterward because of user outcry.

    HOWEVER, equally or more dangerous I've noticed:

    >In July 2014, the Internet Storm Center reported that the mobile version for iPhone was transmitting unencrypted telemetry and other data to remote servers located in China despite users attempting to opt out of such data collection.[13]

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...