This is because the PDF standard lets you mix encrypted and plain text in a PDF file. PDF Digital Signatures proven to be totally uselessĭigital signatures applied to PDF documents (designed to check if changes to a PDF have been made) cannot be relied upon since you can manipulate digitally signed PDFs without the documents being reported as tampered with.Įncrypted PDF content can be viewed by a hacker without the need for a password or keyĮncrypted PDF files can be modified by an attacker even if they don’t have the key to open it. The researchers also found that certified Adobe documents can execute JavaScript code, such as accessing URLs to verify the identity of a user – attackers could use this mechanism to add malicious code to a certified PDF document. 11 applications even had PDF certification specifications implemented incorrectly.

Out of 26 PDF applications tested, in 24 were vulnerable to attack. Two new attacks – called Sneaky Signature Attack (SSA) and Evil Annotation Attack (EAA) – enabled researchers to display fake content in a signed Adobe PDF document instead of the certified content, without rendering the certification invalid or triggering a warning from the PDF applications. PDF Digital Signatures broken again with two new attacks PDFs can also be altered after signing to trick PDF viewers into displaying content that looks different to the one that was signed.Īdobe Acrobat PDF Security Vulnerabilities PDF Digital Signatures – due to weaknesses in signature validation algorithms, PDF documents can be altered without them being reported as tampered with. Since the PDF specification allows the mixing of ciphertexts with plaintexts, this can be used in combination with other PDF features which allow the loading of external resources via HTTP, enabling an attacker to run direct exfiltration attacks to gain access to the PDF content once a victim opens a PDF file. An attacker can modify the structure of encrypted PDF documents, add unencrypted objects, or wrap encrypted parts into a context controlled by the attacker. PDF Encryption – there is no integrity protection. PDF Encryption & Digital Signature Weaknesses Adobe announced a strengthening of their DRM system in 2014 but there are many ebook DRM removal companies claiming to easily remove Adobe Digital Editions DRM. In 2009 Adobe Digital Editions DRM was broken by i♥cabbages allowing users to remove the DRM protection from Adobe ebooks – “There is very little obfuscation in how Adobe Digital Editions hides and encrypts the per-user RSA key, allowing fairly simple duplication of exactly the same process Digital Editions uses to retrieve it.”. The security strength and weakness of the investigated e-book systems are analyzed and presented.Īdobe Digital Editions Digital Rights ManagementĪdobe has been plagued with poor implementations of DRM security for PDF files and EPUB ebooks and reports of spying on user activity. This paper makes a survey on main e-book standards, application architectures and security mechanisms. This article covers how PDF files execute code, JavaScript security issues, and how login credentials can be easily stolen. So how do you protect yourself from PDF security attacks? This article explains how adopting an acceptable usage policy and disabling JavaScript can help.Īdobe says “One of the easiest and most powerful ways to customize PDF files is by using JavaScript” but it can leave systems open to easy attacks.

PDF security attacks account for 28% of all malware

It shows why it is essential that JavaScript is disabled in Acrobat if you want to protect yourself against malware attacks. This paper covers the security analysis of the PDF format and malware attacks. This paper discusses the flaws in the Acrobat Standard Security handler. If you think PDF plug-ins can’t compromise your security then perhaps you should read this. If the PDF security solution you decide on can be circumvented by simple means, or is complex to setup and use then you might want to look elsewhere. This paper explains the current pitfalls of PDF security. They encrypt the content of a PDF file and hope that no one figures out how to decrypt it.” This paper explains how Adobe encrypts PDF files.ġ0 things you really wished you had known about PDF DRM, but they didn’t tell you “Adobe’s PDF protection scheme is a classic example of security through obscurity. This paper explains how to bypass Adobe PDF Security using a Mac computer. Bypassing Adobe Security controls on the Mac

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