Is there a technical reason adobe acrobat always has so many security issues?

[soom1245]

I know popular applications get attacked the most but I don't understand why a document program has so many vulnerabilities all the time and needs constant updating.

Sure, any program can be attacked. I recently saw news about a midi file being used to download rootkit:
http://www.spamfighter.com/News-17366-Malevolent-MIDI-Files-Result-in-Downloading-of-Rootkit.htm


However you don't see that every other month like you do acrobat. Or an application more similar to pdf like microsoft word or xps have security issues once in a while but not as much as acrobat.

So is there a technical/architectural reason for this? Is there something about pdf /design that make them easy to attack?

 

[Nothinman]

Because it's more than a document format. They've added a lot of crap like JS interpretation, video/sound, etc that no one really uses.

 

[BrightCandle]

The reason is because there is so much unnecessary rubbish in Acrobat that is vulnerable. They don't need the grand majority of the 100's of MB's of code and assets that are in that app, but its in there anyway. It causes major security holes and a very slow program.

 

[Doppel]

Thank God I on my work machine and I could install foxit reader. My life is ss much better since that asinine update every day reader never gets run. Acrobat is a great example of bloatware. I assume this extra crap makes it so susceptible to breach.

 

[Cogman]

Because it's more than a document format. They've added a lot of crap like JS interpretation, video/sound, etc that no one really uses.

this is the correct answer.

 

[Train]

All of the above can be lumped into "Too much surface area"