Why they are doing things this way is a tale for them to tell, but Adobe has a security update available this day, which must be applied to the full version of Adobe 9.3.
If you are observant, and are working in Windows, you’ll also see that the file comes in a format you may not be familiar with, with the extension msp. That is a Microsoft style patch file, meaning it depends on a file on disk to act upon.
The inability to download a complete 9.3.2 version means you’ll want to keep the last file you downloaded if you have the need to install from scratch for anyone else or other machines. The install will be a two-step process, but it is very easy, with no fear or trepidation involved.
Since I don’t want to completely reinvent the wheel, I’ll be using parts of a story from the gHacks site, to tell the complete tale.
Adobe, just like Microsoft, releases security updates on a schedule unless a vulnerability is actively exploited on a large scale and requires immediate attention. Updates for their pdf readers Adobe Reader and Acrobat have been released today that fix several security vulnerabilities.
The critical vulnerabilities are affecting all operating systems that Adobe Reader is compatible with (Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh and Unix based) and versions of Adobe Reader 9.3.1 and Adobe Acrobat 9.3.1 or earlier.
The critical nature of the vulnerabilities requires immediate attention from users who have affected software versions installed on their computer systems.
Adobe is offering the update through various channels. It is possible to check for updates from within the pdf readers by clicking on Help > Check for updates or to download the updates from the official Adobe website.
Adobe Reader users on Windows can also find the appropriate update here:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp?product=10&platform=Windows.
Adobe Reader users on Macintosh can also find the appropriate update here:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp?product=10&platform=Macintosh.
Adobe Reader users on UNIX can find the appropriate update here:
ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/unix/9.x/9.3.2/.The update is still separated from the full version of Adobe Reader that is offered on the Adobe homepage. There is still no full version of Adobe Reader 9.3.2 available on the Adobe homepage which still offers Adobe Reader 9.3.0 to visitors.
Users who want to find out more about the security vulnerabilities can check out the security bulletin that contains detailed information about the vulnerabilities that are closed with the new release.
So update now, it will make you breathe easier the next time you have to open a PDF file, and you’ll know, at least for today, you are safe!
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The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced.
Frank Zappa
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