Several backdoors in PDF revealed
Researcher lists security issues with document format.
A researcher analysing the possibility of exploiting vulnerabilities in the Adobe PDF file format has released a
lengthy list of ways in which the format can be used to breach security. UK-based penetration tester David Kierznowski
claims '7 or more points' are open to hackers wishing to execute malicious code.
Two of the vulnerabilities are demonstrated on the researcher's site, including functioning examples of exploits. One
uses JavaScript to automatically access a remote site when the document is opened, while the second accesses
local ODBC databases and could be used to harvest private data.
'These holes sound serious,' said John Hawes, Technical Consultant at Virus Bulletin. 'With these backdoors uncovered,
we can be pretty sure they'll be put to use in some way by malware writers hoping to gain access to our computers.
Until Adobe finds a way to fix these issues, web users should take care when opening PDFs from untrusted sites.'
The research can be read here. Adobe is
believed to be investigating the issues.
18 September 2006
Tags:
virus
del.icio.us 
digg this
As expected, the annual VB100 test on Windows XP was an epic. A higher than usual pass rate was tempered by numerous stability issues with the products under test, prompting the unveiling of a new stability rating system. John Hawes has all the details.