Alert: Update Adobe Reader and Acrobat to Fix Vulnerability
10 November 2008
FastFacts
- Who: Faculty, Staff, and Students
- What: Critical vulnerability in Adobe Reader 8 and Acrobat 8 may put your computer at risk.
- Client Action: Update or upgrade Adobe Reader and Acrobat.
Adobe has identified critical vulnerabilities in Adobe Reader and Acrobat version 8.1.2 and earlier. These vulnerabilities could cause the application to crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. One of the UNC system campuses is reporting active exploits of this vulnerability.
Adobe Reader 9 and Acrobat 9 are not vulnerable to these issues. Adobe recommends that you upgrade to Adobe Reader and Acrobat version 9. Those who cannot upgrade to version 9 should install the 8.1.3 update to protect themselves from potential vulnerabilities.
Adobe Reader 8
Adobe recommends Adobe Reader users update to Adobe Reader 9, available here:
http://www.adobe.com/go/getreader
If you have Adobe Reader 8.0 through 8.1.2, and can't update to Adobe Reader 9, you should update to Adobe Reader 8.1.3:
- Open Adobe Reader.
- Click on the Help pull-down menu and select Check for Updates.
Adobe Acrobat 8
An upgrade to Acrobat 9 requires an upgrade to the license. For those who do not wish to upgrade their license, updating to version 8.1.3 will fix the vulnerability:
- Open Adobe Acrobat.
- Click on the Help pull-down menu and select Check for Updates.
If you have questions or need more information, please contact 6-TECH at (336) 256-TECH (8324) or 6-tech@uncg.edu.