Adobe squishes code execution bug in download manager
Adobe Systems on Tuesday patched a critical vulnerability that could be exploited to remotely install malicious files on end-user PCs when they install or upgrade Reader and Flash applications. When combined with a flaw on Adobe's website, the bug in the Adobe Download Manager made it possible for attackers to install malware on …
What the hell is wrong with these people? World + dog is installing background services, "updaters", "crash reporters", "download managers" and all manner of fucking useless crud that does absolutely nothing of import except hog resources, destabilise systems and drive mildly tech-savvy people insane with calls from granny + dog.
They should be shot, or even better, grenaded.
... how to download something from Adobe *without* using the download manager. I tried today and it's damn hard. I don't need nor want a download manager. My download manager is called "webbrowser".
Acrobat: why does it need security patches every month to fix JavaScript bugs? Why does it need JavaScript support in the first place? Why can't I just download a "no JS, no security holes edition?". Same for flash, it is out of control!
But now this, the updater is itself insecure. And as everyone points out, it sneaks in. You need to go to your windows registry editor and see what's in Autorun to get rid of all the adobe junk.
Their whole job seems to be to make Microsoft developers look competent.
since Jobs said all things Flash are unholy.
There are other PDF readers - even for windows. Try doing a web search. AFAIK only Adobe are dumb enough to support javascript. Gootube videos can be downloaded with youtube-dl and watched if you have gnash and mplayer (I do not know if these work on Windows). If there is a useful website that requires flash then I would not know as the first thing I do with a browser is to disable flash, javascript and java.
Somewhat quicker, I suspect, than it would have been had there not been major publicity.
"... how to download something from Adobe *without* using the download manager."
Delete "from Adobe" in the sentence and you improve your chances dramatically.
Foxit reader seems pretty good so far -- and unlike adobe's version, I can actually display two PDFs at the same time with it. Adobe Reader was displaying random garbage from another file whenever I double clicked on a PDF while another PDF was open.
"Why does it need JavaScript support in the first place?"
Probably so that it can implement its own spyware. The whole focus of software and communications these days seems to be how much spyware it can get away with while still claiming not to have broken the law.
...it downloads Adobe software to your machine.
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