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Unbelievable! Adobe PDF & ZERO Security!

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
March 9, 2022
2 replies
3255 views

So here is the deal:

I create a PDF, password protect it with more than 50 characters (special, uppercase, lowercase, numbers...) Even the system says my password is excellent. Then I go to Google to do a security test. First result is "lostmypass". I upload it and in less than a second it unlocks. Aaah, come on!!! Anyone from Adobe to comment? And I still pay to have the full Adobe package? What is it for? What credibility do you have?

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Correct answer try67

Yes, the editing password. This is basically worthless. Of course, if an app can read a PDF then it can edit it; the rules if PDF say to check the password but many app makers don't follow the rules. Some app makers go further and make hacking tools. They don't find the password, they just remove the protection. Adobe know this, and put out the get clear warning mentioned.
The Open password is proper encryption, and a long password a decent protection. But once open (or once the password is shared) there is no real protection for an editing app.
Even if there was solid protection against editing, it would be worthless. It would take seconds to take screen shots and make new, editable, identical PDF. Bottom line: nothing is safe.

I agree with everything, except for one word: "identical".

When you re-create the file in this manner the result is far from identical. A lot of information is lost in the process (metadata, bookmarks, comments, fields, links, scripts, layers, attachments, signatures, etc.).

MikelKlink

Participating Frequently

You are aware that PDF encryption works with two passwords, one for the regular user, one for the owner?

You mention only one password...

Have you probably password protected your PDF using an excellent owner password but left the user password to the default empty one?

(If that's the case, one can obviously trivially unlock your PDF...)

GuiFurlanAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thanks for the comment. In fact, I use the paid version of Adobe Acrobat and I protect PDF documents according to the screens I provide below. There is only one password:

Once again tks for the interaction in the post.

try67

Community Expert

I understand your point of view about security issues. Nothing is really 100% secure. But if Adobe provides a password feature, it should work. Especially if I use the paid version of the Adobe package.

I did another test: I tried to edit an electricity bill that I received via PDF. The company has some kind of extra layer of security. That is, I can use the "edit PDF" function, but I can't use the same font. That is, it works as it should work: at least make changes difficult.

Anyway, I still can't believe that a company the size of Adobe, regardless of the tools to "crack" passwords, doesn't have a solution that makes it a little more difficult when we protect a PDF file.

Apply a File-Open password and it will be much more difficult to remove it, although not impossible.

The rest have been answered already.

Bernd Alheit

Community Expert

How does you protect the PDF file? Acrobat Reader can't do this.

When you protect the file with Adobe Acrobat you will get following message:

GuiFurlanAuthor

Participating Frequently

Hello. First thanks for the collaboration 🙂

I've seen this message before, but it's hard to believe it actually exists. I used the official Adobe tool to password protect. I usually use it online through the link https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/tools

In other words, the PDF lock feature is of no use. If Adobe provides a feature for its own product, it should block it regardless of the software used to view it. After all, the file is still an Adobe file.

Imagine your bank informing you: well, to access your bank account you can set a password. But if someone uses a website other than our official website to access your account, that person can access it easily. So what is the password for?

It took me a while to see these interactions on my post, but given the size of Adobe and what it represents (the company and products), I'm still "shocked". Unless there's something very obvious that I'm missing.

Thanks anyway for the interaction here in the post.

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