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PDF files, which convenient for sharing documents via e-mail, have also become a popular attack vector. While Adobe has worked hard to fix vulnerabilities in Acrobat and Reader, it has been a challenge for IT departments to make sure all versions of the software within the enterprise are up-to-date.
On May 9, HBGary released AcroScrub, a free tool which scans the organization for old and vulnerable versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader. The software scanner provides network administrators a quick and easy way to discover which users and machines are potentially vulnerable to a PDF-based attack.
AcroScrub doesn’t use any agents and uses built-in Windows networking capabilities to scan for old versions of the software, HBGary said. The administrator defines which versions of Adobe software are allowed, and the command-line based tool returns a list of non-compliant machines.
AcroScrub is the first of a series of free tools from HBGary. It will be available for download from the HBGary Website for registered users.
Considering the prevalence of PDF attacks, and the fact that the sandbox technology in Reader X has successfully stopped recent attacks from executing, it is critical that employees run the latest versions of software. Helping administrators keep track of software versions will only help protect employees from malicious attackers.