If you own a Windows or Mac PC, there's a good chance you have downloaded and used a version of the free Reader and Acrobat software from Adobe to view PDF files. This week, the company admitted that there is a recently discovered "zero day" flaw in both programs that is being used by hackers.
In a security bulletin, Adobe states:
Adobe is aware of reports that these vulnerabilities are being exploited in the wild in targeted attacks designed to trick Windows users into clicking on a malicious PDF file delivered in an email message. Adobe is in the process of working on a fix for these issues and will update this advisory when a date for the fix has been determined.
The specific software versions that has been affected by this flaw are Adobe Reader XI, X, and 9 and Adobe Acrobat XI, X and 9 for Windows and Mac. While there is apparently no workaround for this issue for Mac users, people who use the Windows version can enable "Protected View" to keep the exploit from affecting their software. Adobe states, "To enable this setting, choose the "Files from potentially unsafe locations" option under the Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) menu."
Source: Adobe | Image via Adobe
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