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Hacker Finds Serious Flaw in Adobe PDF

Slimy   on 21 September 2007 - 19:23 · 8 comments & 5506 views

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The same hacker who discovered a recently patched QuickTime flaw affecting the Firefox browser says he has found an equally serious flaw in Adobe Systems Incorporated's PDF file format. Using Adobe Reader 8.1 on Windows XP, Petko Petkov confirmed that PDF documents can be used to compromise a Windows system. "All it takes is to open a PDF document or stumble across a page which embeds one." The security researcher noted other versions may be affected and said he would not release code that shows how this attack works until Adobe provided a patch for the problem. Typical exploits are version-specific but this one seems to be related to how the files are read. If Petkov’s claims are correct, this flaw could be one of PDF’s most serious to date.

News source: PC World

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#1 Pixil Eyes on 21 Sep 2007 - 21:29
Bored much hacker guy?
#2 night_stalker_z on 21 Sep 2007 - 21:40
Not disclosiing the code to Adobe or the public?
(2 replies) #3 Dakkaroth on 21 Sep 2007 - 22:43
Of course not. Sell it to the highest bidder. Make them pay for it. ~
#3.1 Praeses on 22 Sep 2007 - 06:15
I once saw a website where exploits were sold to the highest bidder
#3.2 YaZoR on 22 Sep 2007 - 16:01
Quote - (Praeses said @ #3.1)
I once saw a website where exploits were sold to the highest bidder

Yea made quite a bit off that.
(1 reply) #4 Hak Foo on 22 Sep 2007 - 06:24
Die, PDF, Die!

I hate your slow downloads, your 25Mb installer reader which insists on begging to be updated, and your tendency to crash browsers.
#4.1 Angel Blue01 on 22 Sep 2007 - 12:26
You mean Acrobat Reader. Foxit Reader and other PDF readers don't have these problems
#5 Croquant on 22 Sep 2007 - 16:57
Looks to me like the flaw is in the Acrobat reader more than it is in the PDF format. you Notice how he doesn't say he tested PDFs with alternative-source PDF readers? That should have been your first clue.

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