does adobe reader/acrobat support self host sign CA with freetsa on LTV

From what I understand, Adobe Reader/Acrobat should be able to work with a self-hosted OpenSSL/FreeTSA setup. It is not necessarily required to use Adobe DSS.

If the certificate details, CRL path, and trust chain are all valid and Reader shows the other validation statuses correctly but LTV remains disabled, the issue may be related to how the OCSP/CRL and validation data are embedded in the signed PDF rather than the CA itself.

You may also want to check FilmTV APK as an example of another self-hosted setup, but for the Adobe side I would focus on the PDF signature's embedded revocation information and DSS/VRI data.

Self-hosted OpenSSL is supported; you don’t have to use DSS. If LTV is the only part failing, check that the PDF actually embeds the full certificate chain and CRL/OCSP data in its DSS/revocation section. The Reader trust store alone usually isn’t enough for LTV validation.

Hello @kajirouji

I hope you are doing well, and thanks for reaching out. Sorry for the trouble you had.

Could you please share more details?

1. Which OS/platform are you using: A) Windows, B) macOS

2. What exact Acrobat/Reader version and build is installed (from Menu Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader)?

3. Is the PDF signature created by LibreSign/OpenSSL and then timestamped by your self-hosted FreeTSA-compatible RFC 3161 TSA, or is the signing workflow different?

4. When you say “LTV shows not enabled,” what exact message/status does Acrobat display under Signature Properties > Show Signer’s Certificate/validation details?

Please note that Acrobat supports certificates from trusted third-party providers, RFC 3161 timestamping, and PAdES long-term validation. Also, a timestamp can come from a third-party timestamp authority or the CA that issued the digital ID.

Please check these articles for more information:

https://adobe.ly/46a4cVu

https://adobe.ly/4qXj4QH

https://adobe.ly/4ynerlc

If by DSS you mean the PDF Document Security Store, this is not an Adobe online service. It is a PAdES mechanism inside the PDF for storing certificates, CRLs, OCSP responses, and signature-specific VRI references. Adobe documents that LTV information can be stored there after signing without changing the existing signature. Check this article for more details: https://adobe.ly/4r0V0MI

I hope this helps, and please reach out if you need any assistance.

Regards,

Anand Sri.