Unable to Sign PDF with Military CAC (smart card)

[Guest]

I have a Military CAC that I am trying to use to sign a PDF document with.  I created the document and have tried multiple signature fields.  I have my CAC connected via an ActivCard reader and my computer is correctly reading the card.  I have verified that the certificate is present in the computer and that Adobe Acrobat Pro can see the certificate.  I am not given the option to sign with the card.  Am I missing something?

Thanks,

Alex

[jackieh4481]

how do I sign electronically with my cac card

[AnandSri · Accepted solution]

Hello Jackieh,

Sorry for the delayed response and inconvenience caused. As per the description above, you want to sign a PDF using your CAC card, Is that correct?

The CAC card stores your digital id on an embedded microprocessor chip. Use the digital ID on a smart card to sign and decrypt documents on computers that can be connected to a smart card reader.

You can access your digital ID by connecting the token to a USB port on your computer or mobile device. If you store your digital ID on a smart card or hardware token, connect it to your device to use it for signing documents.

For detailed information, please refer to Adobe article Digital IDs in Acrobat

You can also refer to Certificate-based signatures, Adobe Acrobat DC

Feel free to update this discussion for any further assistance.

Regards,

Anand Sri.

[g36hickey]

in the Adobe program it doesnt give us the option to select to sign via digital ID

[AnandSri]

Hello G36hickey,

Sorry for the delayed response and inconvenience caused. Is it possible to share the screenshot of the window where you are not getting the options? To share the screenshot, refer to https://forums.adobe.com/docs/DOC-7043#jive_content_id_How_do_I_attach_a_screenshot

make sure that you have the latest version of Acrobat installed, check for the latest updates from help>check for updates, or install them manually from DC Release Notes — Release Notes for Acrobat DC Products

What is the current dot version of Acrobat installed? To identify, refer to Identify the product and its version for Acrobat and Reader DC

What is the version of OS installed? Is it specific to one PDF or with all the PDF?

Let us know how it goes and share your observation.

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

[Guest]

Sorry for this not adding to the resolution but I wanted as much information as possible added to the conversation in the hope that Adobe will address this issue as it is done in Windows.

Since Catalina now accepts DoD CAC cards too logon to Mac the “helper” reader apps have to be removed and Catalina doesn’t temporarily add the CAC to the keychain. Therefore I have lost the ability to Digitally Sign PDFs with my CAC card. I was able to sign PDFs without issue prior to Catalina with Thursby PKard helper middleware, which with Catalina MUST be removed.

Will your Adobe move to corrects this Catalina problem?

http://www.thursby.com/support/faq/pkard-mac-and-macos-catalina

Mark Fay MMC Jr. Engineer QMED AS-E / MSC ET

[Nem-sis_Shadow]

They ever find a fix for this.  My Mac read my connected CAC via USB, however, when I go to digitally sign a document it wants to configure a digital ID.  Adobe does not see my connected CAC via USB.  Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[michael_salehi@hotmail.com]

Try this, used it successfully with Adobe DC Pro at home with my CAC and it worked:

Got this info from: https://militarycac.com/esign.htm. 

-------------------------

Mac OS 10.12.x (Sierra) through 10.15.x (Catalina) users need to make some adjustments in Adobe to be able to sign PDFs.  This is only when using the native Apple Smart Card Ability and Adobe Reader, please verify these settings on your Mac:

Open an Adobe PDF file,

Select the words Adobe Reader (at the top of the screen)

Click Preferences

Under Categories, scroll down to Signatures

In the Creation and Appearance section, click More

Make sure Enable CryptoTokenKit framework support is checked.

You might also need to change the Default Signing Format to CAdES-Equivalent

If you don't see these options, it could be you have an older version of Adobe Reader.  Go to:  https://get.adobe.com/reader and update your Adobe Reader

BTW, you'll need to enter your key chain password exactly FOUR times before it unlocks and uploads your cert it Adobe. 

[TM406]

I followed these steps from that website, but still am not having any luck. 

I'm not sure I follow on the keychain password guidance that you were referring to?

[RH59]

Same. Any one have success?

[Lyle W · Accepted solution]

So I had the same problem.  I followed the following from above:

Click Preferences

Under Categories, scroll down to Signatures

In the Creation and Appearance section, click More

Make sure Enable CryptoTokenKit framework support is checked.

You might also need to change the Default Signing Format to CAdES-Equivalent

This did not work for me.  I changed the Default Signing Format: back to PKCS#7 - Detached and now it does work.  I wanted to post this in case it helps anyone.  Took me about 20 minutes to update my profile and everythign so I could post.  Haha.

[RH59]

This also seemed to work. How? IDK

Perhaps the 'did you restart your computer?' applies here to.

[BBK5]

You need to restart Adobe Reader after making the above changes.

[christophera89091879]

Quitting Adobe after making the changes, then reopening it worked for me.  After I drew the signature box it immediately recognized my smart card.  As mentioned earlier in this thread, it asked for my keychain password exactly 4 times and then I was able to select my CAC certificate.  I am working off of catalina (10.15.7) still--haven't upgraded to big sur yet.

[Shawn5D3E]

Followed these steps:

Click Preferences

Under Categories, scroll down to Signatures

In the Creation and Appearance section, click More

Enabled CryptoTokenKit framework support

Changed the Default Signing Format to CAdES-Equivalent

Quit ADOBE

Changed the Default Signing Format back to PKCS#7

Thanks everyone!

[nofilmphoto]

Second this. Just did this exact same step today and it worked.

[defaultpq2q64qrjr5v]

Does not work on my version.

I am using Adobe PDF Reader Pro  2.7.7  on  macOS Big Sur.   When I click on "Preferences" there is no option for 'Categories" only "General" "Display" "Annotate" and "Sync". "Annotate"  has absolutely no mention of Signatures under "Preferences"

Under "Annotate" from the top  menu has "signature" with no option  of my attacted CAC card. Under Annotate->Form->Signature. places a signature box on the page but when I save and reopen there is no option to sign with my CAC

I do have a CAC with reader pluged in and a green light on the reader. This is very 

frustrating. I don't recall ever having these kinds of problems with other versions. I paid for this "pro" version I certaintly did not expect to go backward on usefullness.

[try67]

There's no such thing as "Adobe PDF Reader Pro 2.7.7".

[Javiairborne]

I want you to know that I spent three hours trying to figure this out.....to include what that post you're referring to said.  Had it not been for your comment about changing it back I would have gone crazy.  Thank you!!!

[adept_curiosity0603]

This worked for me!! Thank you so much for taking the time to help us all!!

[tonyk40490849]

I made these changes under Catalina and they did work.  They are  not working under Big Sur.

[Rebel Yehl]

This worked for me the first time.  I'm using Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and have mac OS Big Sur (11.0.1) installed.  I did close Reader DC after I made these changes, but not sure if that is necessary.  Note:  after installing Big Sur, I had to reinstall the built in reader via instructions found on the militarycac website.  (it wouldn't let me post the URL)

[Theodore5E36]

I am on Big Sur, and this also worked for me. Thank you everybody.

[SHAINA0101]

I have the Big Sur update on my Mac and making sure Enable CryptoTokenKit framework support is checked and also

changing the Default Signing Format to CAdES-Equivalent worked for me. I denied the keychain password and it still signed my document. Thanks for the help!

[V.H.]

This is what worked for me, you have to quit Adobe and re-open after making the changes. MacBook Air, running Big Sur 11.2.2