Adobe Acrobat Reader issues

On my current setup (Adobe Acrobat Reader 8.1.2) acropdf.dll is the only Acrobat Reader ActiveX, and it's working fine. I don't want all that junk.

Now I did notice a reported vulnerability in Acrobat Reader 8.1.2 on secunia.com.

I tried to update, but that update brought all sorts of stuff on my computer, ActiveX and even something (plural or singular) in the software panel. The BHO was also annoying. I must admit that I was not aware of what everything did, but I didn't like it, so I uninstalled everything and reinstalled the original 8.1.2. And then I did some cleaning, like removing the BHO and stuff on the startup list.

Since when can't an Adobe document simply be a document, without all sorts of junk ?

Has anyone found a workaround, other than disabling scripting computer-wide ?

 

I found it interesting.

http://blog.micropledge.com/2008/07/adobe-reader-9/

 

I don't think people really want to have PDF documents that can sing and dance !

I've decided to stick to version 8 for now, with javascript disabled.

 

It is more vulnarable and more popular than other similar applications .
It is much bigger and slower (like a real elephant) than other similar applications.
It brings unwante crap to users' machines.
It is getting bigger and bigger with any newer version . v8 was terribly big . v9 is 33+ Mbs
Sorry , I don't want it

Yes . It is called Foxit Reader
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/

Not than popular , not that vulnerable , a single exe file -> only 2.55 Mbs

If you need other products for editing PDFs - Foxit Software offers other products , too - they are not as bloated as Adobe's

 

I had Adobe Reader 8.1.2 installed, saw that V9 was available, so I uninstalled V8 and installed V9. I uninstalled V9 immediately. Now I have PDF-XChange installed.

 

For me PDF Xchange Viewer is the best, already mentioned by AKAJohnDoe.
There is also a lite version of Adobe Reader 9 here at 16.5MB.

 

Many just hold onto a previous version.

Still using Version 6 with all but the two necessary plugins removed, I find that the Reader starts instantly, and continues to do its basic job of "reading" a .pdf file.

As far as vulnerabilities: with no access to (the very few) real attacks in the wild, I've tested all PoCs I've seen, and all have failed to run.


----
rich

 

The free Foxit is all I need and use. I fully endorse this excellent software

 

Yep, have used Foxit a lot over the years... it is good. I have yet to try the currently mentioned Pdf Xchange....