The latest version of the venerable (and oh-so-holey) PDF viewing routine, Acrobat Reader DC 15.023.20053, released this week, looks for information about your Google Chrome surfing habits. Without your knowledge or consent, the security patch installs a Chrome browser extension that’s spyware, pure and simple.
The situation’s a little more complex, but for most people using Adobe Acrobat Reader, Chrome spyware comes along for the ride.
If you haven’t looked at the Adobe Acrobat Reader lately — I haven’t used it in years, due to security concerns — this latest privacy twist warrants your attention. Unfortunately, there are three distinct versions of Acrobat Reader making the rounds, and this spyware “feature” affects only one of them.
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