If you’re running Adobe Acrobat or Reader, you might not want to open any PDFs unless you trust the sender. Adobe confirmed that hackers are currently exploiting a hole in the two programs, using PDFs to trick people into giving them full access to their computers.

The hole was revealed yesterday after security firm FireEye discovered it and reported it to Adobe. Adobe released a statement yesterday and updated it today to say that it is aware of the vulnerabilities and is currently working on a fix. The company went on to call the holes “critical” and confirmed that hackers are specifically using this attack to gain full control of your computer. Once in, they’d be able to access all your information, and if you’re a business, it could be an entry way into the broader network.

The vulnerability touches Adobe Reader XI, versions 11.0.01 and earlier; Reader X, 10.1.5 and earlier; Reader 9.5.3 (and earlier versions only for those Reader versions beginning with 9.x). All those versions affect both Windows and Macs except for the last, which also hits Linux. As far as Adobe Acrobat goes, it affects Acrobat XI, version 11.0.01 and earlier; X, versions 10.1.5 and earlier; and Acrobat 9.5.3, with all versions within the 9.x scheme also affected. Both Mac and Windows programs are hit here as well.

Aside from not opening PDFs, Adobe suggests Windows users protect themselves by using “Protected View.” You can set up Protected View by heading over to the Edit tab and going into Preferences, then Security (Enhanced) menu to turn it on.

Adobe has not yet said when it will release a fix.

Adobe image via midiman/Flickr

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Tickets On Sale Now

The Adobe Reader app for iOS and Android now includes the incredibly helpful ability to e-sign PDF documents with your finger. And get this: It’s free.

One thing I absolutely hate is being sent a document that I have to print, sign, scan, and e-mail. I would have downloaded an app for e-signing earlier, but I don’t do it frequently enough to warrant a cost. But now there’s a free Adobe Reader app, I can sign PDFs on my iPad instead of dealing with all that other junk.

In addition to being able to draw you signature with you finger, the app lets you ”connect to Adobe EchoSign to get others to sign documents electronically, letting you track and manage the status of documents online,” Kevin Lynch, SVP for Acrobat and Document Services at Adobe, wrote in a blog post today. “And, because the signed contracts are archived in the cloud, you can easily retrieve documents from anywhere, at any time, via a web browser.”

Check out the latest Adobe Reader demo video below:

Adobe Reader photo: Adobe

Adobe has released a new version of Reader with native EchoSign integration that enables users to sign PDFs inside documents. The update also includes a “Send for Signature” option so you can send your PDFs off to other people to sign.

Adobe acquired electronic signature startup EchoSign in July 2011. In September, the company pushed out an EchoSign for Adobe Reader update to connect the two services in a makeshift fashion. Today, Reader with EchoSign demonstrates the almost-perfect efficiency we always wanted from the power couple.

How do the new Reader features work? They’re quite simple — almost.

“With the new update, when you open a PDF document to be signed with Adobe Reader, you will have the option to place a scanned copy of your signature into the document,” former EchoSign CEO and current Adobe vice president of web business services Jason Lemkin explained. “What if you don’t have the ability to scan an image of your signature? Don’t worry; we have that covered too. Using Adobe EchoSign, you can sign a document yourself by using the ‘Only I Sign; feature, which gives you the option to either draw in your own signature using a mouse or simply type it in.”

The “Send for Signature” option is also just as convenient as it is complex. You’ll need to open your document in Reader (the new version, of course), click the “Send for Signature” button, then use the separate Adobe EchoSign web software to prepare and send the document on to a contact for signature. Here you can add in additional fields such as company and title, as well as track the signature process.

The two e-signature processes sound a tad more involved than they should be, but we can certainly see how the updates could become indispensable and widely popular utilities for businesses of all sizes. After all, Reader is used by more than 1 billion people.

Curious about the legality about these e-signatures? Don’t fret, Lemkin said. “Documents signed using Adobe EchoSign are protected by the Federal E-SIGN Act, which makes online electronic signatures in a commercial transaction equivalent to a written signature.”

The new version of Reader is available for download now. Updates will be pushed out to existing Reader users over the next few days on a rolling basis.

Image via wiertz/Flickr