Adobe Acrobat

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Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat DC Icon.png
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC main window in Windows 8.1u1.png
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC running on Windows 8. Other editions of Acrobat DC (Standard and Reader) feature a similar interface.
Developer(s) Adobe Systems
Stable release
  • Windows
    15.009.20069 (October 13, 2015; 41 days ago (2015-10-13)) [±][1]
  • Mac OS X
    15.009.20077 (November 8, 2015; 15 days ago (2015-11-08)) [±][1]
  • Android
    15.0.0 (Build 113454) (April 6, 2015; 7 months ago (2015-04-06)) [±][2]
  • iOS
    15.0.0 (April 7, 2015; 7 months ago (2015-04-07)) [±][3]
  • Linux
    9.5.5 (May 14, 2013; 2 years ago (2013-05-14)) [±][4][5]
  • Windows (Metro-style)
    3.1 (September 29, 2014; 13 months ago (2014-09-29)) [±][6][7]
  • Windows Phone 8
    10.4.4.0 (November 18, 2014; 11 months ago (2014-11-18)) [±][8][9]
Preview release None [±]
Written in C++[10]
Operating system Windows, OS X, Linux,[11] Android, iOS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, BlackBerry 10, Windows Phone
Size
  • Reader: 71.24 MB[12]
  • Acrobat Pro: 501 MB[13]
Type Desktop publishing
License

Proprietary
Website

Adobe Acrobat is a family of application software and Web services developed by Adobe Systems to view, create, manipulate, print and manage files in Portable Document Format (PDF).[14]

The family comprises Acrobat Reader (formerly Adobe Reader), Acrobat (formerly Acrobat Exchange) and Acrobat.com. The freeware Acrobat Reader, available for several desktop and mobile platforms, can view, print and annotate PDF files.[15] The commercial proprietary Acrobat, available for Microsoft Windows and OS X only, can also create, edit, convert, digitally sign, encrypt, export and publish PDF files. Acrobat.com complements the family with a variety of enterprise content management and file hosting services.

History[edit]

Since the early 1990s the Acrobat product has had several competitors, some of which used their own document formats, such as:

Adobe also allows third parties to develop Acrobat plug-ins, which can add extra functions to the Acrobat program.

Product names[edit]

Adobe has changed the names of the products of the Acrobat set several times, also dividing, merging, or discontinuing products. Initially, the name "Acrobat" was used as the parent name of a set of products which included Acrobat Reader, Acrobat Exchange and Acrobat Distiller. Over time Acrobat Reader became Reader; and the name Acrobat Exchange was simplified to Acrobat. Between version 3 and 5, Standard and Professional versions were one product known simply as Acrobat.

As of April 2015, the main members of the Acrobat family include:[16]

Adobe Acrobat XI.png
Acrobat XI
Adobe Reader XI icon.png
Reader XI
Adobe Distiller X icon.png
Distiller XI
Logos of Acrobat desktop applications

Desktop applications:

  • Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (for Windows 7 and above. Reader X is the last supported version for Windows Vista).[17]
  • Adobe Acrobat Standard DC
  • Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Mobile applications with the Document Cloud (DC) launch:

  • Adobe Acrobat DC (mobile app on iOS and Android)
  • Fill n Sign app
  • e-Sign manager
Adobe Acrobat dot com (2012).png
Storage
Adobe CreatePDF icon.png
CreatePDF
Adobe ExportPDF icon.png
ExportPDF
Adobe EchoSign icon (2012).png
EchoSign
Adobe FormsCentral icon.png
FormsCentral
Adobe SendNow icon.png
SendNow
Logos of Acrobat online services

Acrobat.com (Online services):

  • CreatePDF
  • ExportPDF
  • EchoSign
  • FormsCentral
  • Personal Storage
  • Send
  • Workspaces

Unlike most other Adobe products, such as members of Adobe Creative Suite family, the Acrobat products do not have icons that display two letters on a colored rectangle.

Version history[edit]

Main article: Adobe Acrobat version history

Internationalization and localization[edit]

Language availability[edit]

Adobe Acrobat is available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and Ukrainian. Arabic and Hebrew versions are available from WinSoft International,[18] Adobe Systems' internationalization and localization partner.

Specific features for Arabic and Hebrew languages[edit]

The Arabic and Hebrew versions are developed specifically for these languages, which are normally written right-to-left. These versions include special TouchUp properties to manage digits, ligatures option and paragraph direction in right-to-left Middle Eastern scripts such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian, as well as standard left-to-right Indian scripts such as Devanagari and Gujarati. The Web Capture feature can convert single web pages or entire web sites into PDF files, while preserving the content's original text encoding. Acrobat can also copy Arabic and Hebrew text to the system clipboard in its original encoding; if the target application is also compatible with the text encoding, then the text will appear in the correct script.

Security[edit]

The latest security bulletins from Adobe are published on their Security bulletins and advisories page.[19] There have been security updates for Adobe Reader and Acrobat on January 10, April 10 and August 14, 2012, and January 8, 2013.[20]

From Version 3.02 onwards, Acrobat Reader has included support for JavaScript. This functionality allows a PDF document creator to include code which executes when the document is read. Malicious PDF files that attempt to attack security vulnerabilities can be attached to links on web pages or distributed as email attachments. While JavaScript is designed without direct access to the file system to make it "safe", vulnerabilities have been reported for abuses such as distributing malicious code by Acrobat programs.[21] Adobe applications had already become the most popular client-software targets for attackers during the last quarter of 2009.[22] McAfee predicted that Adobe software, especially Reader and Flash, would be the primary target for software attacks during 2010.[23]

September 2006 warning[edit]

On September 13, 2006, David Kierznowski provided sample PDF files illustrating JavaScript vulnerabilities. Since at least version 6, JavaScript can be disabled using the preferences menu and embedded URLs that are launched are intercepted by a security warning dialog box to either allow or block the website from activating.[24]

February 2009 warning[edit]

On February 19, 2009, Adobe released a Security Bulletin announcing JavaScript vulnerabilities in Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 9 and earlier.[25] As a workaround for this issue, US-CERT recommended disabling JavaScript in the affected Adobe products, canceling integration with Windows shell and web browsers (while carrying out an extended version of de-integration for Internet Explorer), deactivating Adobe indexing service and avoiding all PDF files from external sources.[26]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "DC Continuous Track (base release) - Acrobat and Adobe Reader Release Notes". Adobe Systems. 2015-04-07. 
  2. ^ Adobe Systems. "Adobe Reader". Google Play. Google Inc. Retrieved 2015-04-07. 
  3. ^ Adobe Systems. "Adobe Reader". App Store. Apple. Retrieved 2015-04-07. 
  4. ^ "FTP download of Adobe Reader for Linux". ftp. Adobe Systems. Retrieved 2013-05-15. 
  5. ^ "Adobe - Security Bulletins: APSB13-02 - Security updates available for Adobe Reader and Acrobat". Adobe Systems. Retrieved 2013-03-07. Release date: January 8, 2013; Last updated: March 7, 2013; Vulnerability identifier: APSB13-02 
  6. ^ "Adobe Reader Windows Store page". Microsoft Store (Microsoft). Retrieved 2013-06-27. 
  7. ^ "Adobe Reader Touch for Windows 8 adds Comments and More". Engineering blog for Adobe Reader on mobile platforms. Adobe Systems. 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2013-03-07. 
  8. ^ Adobe Systems. "Adobe Reader". Windows Phone Marketplace. Microsoft. Retrieved 2014-12-24. 
  9. ^ Rahulban (2012-03-06). "Adobe Reader (10.1) now available for Windows Phone 8". Engineering blog for Adobe Reader on mobile platforms (Blog). Adobe Systems. Retrieved 2013-03-06. 
  10. ^ Lextrait, Vincent (January 2010). "The Programming Languages Beacon, v10.0". Retrieved 5 January 2010. 
  11. ^ "Download new and previous versions of Adobe Reader". Adobe.com. Adobe Systems. Retrieved 29 July 2013. 
  12. ^ "Adobe – Adobe Reader download – All versions". adobe.com. Adobe Systems. Retrieved 29 July 2013. 
  13. ^ "Download a free trial of Acrobat XI Pro". Adobe.com. Adobe Systems. Retrieved 29 July 2013. 
  14. ^ "Adobe Acrobat family". 2008. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-19. 
  15. ^ "Adobe Reader". 2008. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-19. 
  16. ^ "Acrobat XI Pro / FAQ". Adobe.com. Adobe Systems. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2013. 
  17. ^ "Adobe Reader XI: Not just for reading anymore". Adobe.com. Adobe Systems. February 25, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2015. 
  18. ^ "Adobe Acrobat Professional software – Communicate and collaborate with the essential PDF solution, enhanced features for Central and East European and Middle Eastern users". Winsoft-international.com. Archived from the original on 2 January 2011. Retrieved 2010-12-04. 
  19. ^ Adobe Security bulletins and advisories
  20. ^ Security Updates for Adobe Reader and Acrobat, Jan. 8, 2013
  21. ^ Brockmeier, Joe (2005-03-30). "Unexpected features in Acrobat 7". LWN.net. Retrieved 2009-02-20. 
  22. ^ "McAfee Threats Report: Fourth Quarter 2009" (PDF). McAfee Avert Labs. February 2010. p. 16. Retrieved 2010-05-09. 
  23. ^ "2010 Threat Predictions" (PDF). McAfee Labs. December 2009. p. 2. Retrieved 2010-05-09. 
  24. ^ Naraine, Ryan (2006-09-15). "Hacker Discovers Adobe PDF Back Doors". eWeek. Ziff Davis Enterprise Holdings Inc. Retrieved 2011-08-05. David Kierznowski, a penetration testing expert specializing in Web application testing, has released proof-of-concept code and rigged PDF files to demonstrate how the Adobe Reader program could be used to initiate attacks without any user action. 
  25. ^ "Security Updates available for Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 9 and earlier". adobe.com. Adobe Systems. 19 February 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2013. 
  26. ^ "Vulnerability Note VU#905281". US-CERT. 2009-02-20. Archived from the original on 23 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-20. 

External links[edit]

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