Fix 14 Security Issues by Updating Adobe Acrobat and Reader

Adobe usually patches its products once a month to provide new security updates, but the company has just rolled out an extra update that fixes 14 security threats facing Adobe’s desktop PDF apps (Windows and macOS). This is an important update that affects the following apps:

• Adobe Acrobat 2017

• Acrobat 2020

• Acrobat DC

• Adobe Reader DC

• Acrobat Reader

All fourteen of the bugs Adobe is patching pose a threat to your PC, but three of them and especially critical, and leave your system open to remote access. It’s like having an unlocked backdoor a hacker can use to install malware or access your files and programs. Remote access threats are dangerous, but downloading the new security patch fixes the vulnerabilities.

Some of the other bugs stem from Adobe Flash. Flash is a notorious security boondoggle, but the new patch removes it from the Acrobat and Reader app, which should hopefully make them safer to use in general.

All Acrobat and Reader apps will eventually download and install the extra patch automatically, but Adobe encourages users to update their programs manually to keep their devices and data safe.

There are a few ways to pull this off. The first way is directly in the Acrobat or Reader menus:

1. Open Acrobat or Reader

2. Go to Help > “Check updates.”

3. The app alerts you if an update is available. Follow the on-screen prompts to install it.

You can also download the latest versions of Adobe’s apps directly from its download page (be sure to uncheck the boxes to install the extra bloatware that comes with the apps). Run the installer and select to update the program.

Lastly, you can update Acrobat if you installed it via Creative Cloud:

1. Open Creative Cloud.

2. Select “Apps.”

3. You can click “Update all” to install any pending updates or click “Update” next to each app to patch them individually.

4. If you don’t see any updates waiting, click the “...” button then select “Check for updates.”

[The Register]