1 Sept.08
By Jim Finkle
On October 5, Adobe posted a notice on its Web site that said it had unknowingly incorporated vulnerabilities into versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat software that could allow malicious programs to get on to a PC without the user's knowledge.
Such malicious software can take control of a machine and steal confidential data, send out tens of thousands of spam e-mails, or infiltrate government computer systems.
Adobe said it believes the flaws only affect computers running Microsoft Corp's Windows XP operating system and Internet Explorer 7 Web browser. Adobe said it was working to rectify the problem but the fix might not be available until the end of October.
Some security experts say that may not be soon enough to stop hackers determined to get malicious software past firewalls and other security software programs.
"Users should pressure Adobe to release a patch sooner than that," said Gadi Evron, a security expert at Beyond Security. He has organized three closed-door international conferences on efforts by governments and private companies to fight computer attacks.
Malicious software is a common problem. Recent examples have corrupted eBay Inc's Skype Internet telephone service and Time Warner Inc's AOL instant messaging software. Hackers sometimes hide malicious software inside Microsoft Word documents and photo files, hobbling computers when users open them. Continued...
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