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Installing decades-old C++ programs on your computer is an invitation for hackers to take over your computer. That includes Acrobat and Microsoft Office. Getti
by flowerlad 6y ago
Installing decades-old C++ programs on your computer is an invitation for hackers to take over your computer. That includes Acrobat and Microsoft Office.
Getting you to open PDFs and Office files is one of the primary ways in which your computer is taken over by hackers. They may send you an attachment or a link by email.
- saagarjha 6y agoNothing to do with C++ here; these bugs are logic errors.
- flowerlad 6y ago> Nothing to do with C++ here Other than memory safety issues, you mean?
- saagarjha 6y ago> here Just run-of-the-mill TOCTOU and poor validation.
- flowerlad 6y agoMy comment was not about this particular instance. In general, installing decades old C++ programs is asking for trouble. C++ language, unlike Rust, Java and .NET applications tend to contain memory related bugs, and that is inherent in C/C++ language.
- _bxg1 6y agoA big part of it is the fact that both of those formats, while nominally "documents", have the ability to execute arbitrary macro code upon opening
- kevin_thibedeau 6y agoThe sad thing is that PDF was designed to be safe by removing all dynamic features of PostScript. Office docs on the other hand don't run macros by default and are safer today than in the distant past.