Security flaw in Adobe PDF reader

Internet users are being urged to check that they have the latest version of Adobe’s Acrobat Reader software, a popular application used to view PDF (portable document format) files.

Security experts have warned that a plug-in for the application could allow hackers to see and edit the folders on a person’s hard drive. Users of Mozilla’s Firefox browser and people using versions of Internet Explorer previous to the latest version, IE7, are at risk.

“PDF files are trusted and very popular, making any significant PDF vulnerability a cause for concern” said Ken Dunham of security firm iDefense. There have been no reports of any hackers actively exploiting the flaw at the moment but according to Dunham, exploit code is available on the internet.

“One of the main websites hosting code for this vulnerability has been hammered with traffic all day, showing great interest in this new exploit” he was quoted as saying.

Internet users are advised to upgrade to version 8 of Acrobat Reader, which is available here.