Advice Request How should I do for keeping safety when open PDF files?

[kamo_jisan]

Good evening everyone. Thanks for your access to this thread.
Now I am having a question about keeping safety when I open PDF files on my PC.

Some times, I open some PDF files on my PC (Desktop and note, each PC) when 2years ago.
But now, I want to know that how to open PDF for keeping more safety (no malware, no exploits, and no security risk) on my PC.


My method:
Past
I was used to open PDF files by the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (with enable enhanced security, and unable Javascript).

Now
I am opening PDF files by Microsoft Edge (associated to ".pdf" files).


Question:
Please tell me about more safe method for opening PDF files.
Which software is better as PDF viewer, browser (edge,chrome,firefox...) or Adobe Reader?


My PC:
Windows 10 Home
Windows update patches are installed at fast after released it.
Security software is F-secure SAFE (I can use Avast Free instead of F-secure).
I have also installed Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome to my PC.


It may be that I will reply everyone too late. But I am going to read all answers. My ability of using English is not good, so if there are some miss-senteces as question, please teach me it by all means.

Thank you.

 

[CMLew]

There's alot of Adobe reader alternatives outside; Sumatra, PDF Xchange, etc. List is endless.

Currently Mine is using PDF Xchange, as I'm a heavy PDF "commenter".

Safety wise, typically try to avoid downloading and pdf from unknown sources especially email.

 

[HarborFront]

Have you given Sumatra PDF a try? It doesn't support JavaScript and it's less targeted by malwares since its market share is small?

Security of Sumatra PDF Viewer vs Adobe Reader?

 

[Ink]

What do you do with PDF files; read only, editing, filling forms, digital signature etc.?

 

[shmu26]

edge has good anti-exploit features that protect the rest of the system. But if you also use edge as your browser, whatever junk that was in your pdf file might effect the browser, so that's not good.

 

[Ink]

if you also use edge as your browser, whatever junk that was in your pdf file might effect the browser, so that's not good.

Shouldn't AppContainer have a play in this? @Umbra @Lockdown
AppContainer Isolation (Windows)

 

[BugCode]

Sumatra +1

 

[509322]

Shouldn't AppContainer have a play in this? @Umbra @Lockdown
AppContainer Isolation (Windows)

Opening PDFs with MicrosoftEdge runs them in AppContainer (Win.dat.pdf.dll [PDF WinRT APIs] is loaded within MicrosoftEdgeCP.exe)

 

[shmu26]

Opening PDFs with MicrosoftEdge runs them in AppContainer (Win.dat.pdf.dll [PDF WinRT APIs] is loaded within MicrosoftEdgeCP.exe)

could malicious code in a PDF infect Edge?

 

[509322]

could malicious code in a PDF infect Edge?

About a year ago TrendMicro made a statement that they thought so. It was their opinion at that time that both Edge's ability to open PDFs and its Adobe Flash integration introduce unnecessary risk to AppContainer.

I don't know if TrendMicro thinks the same today.

However, Windows 10's anti-exploit protections play a part in protecting against PDF\Flash exploits - so one should not focus solely upon the fact that a PDF is run in the AppContainer. What really matters is if W10's protections will prevent a PDF exploit.

 

[shmu26]

About a year ago TrendMicro made a statement that they thought so. It was their opinion at that time that both Edge's ability to open PDFs and its Adobe Flash integration introduce unnecessary risk to AppContainer.

I don't know if TrendMicro thinks the same today.

However, Windows 10's anti-exploit protections play a part in protecting against PDF\Flash exploits - so one should not focus solely upon the fact that a PDF is run in the AppContainer. What really matters is if W10's protections will prevent a PDF exploit.

if you had a choice between Sumatra and Edge, to open a suspicious PDF, which would you choose?

 

[509322]

Good evening everyone. Thanks for your access to this thread.
Now I am having a question about keeping safety when I open PDF files on my PC.

Some times, I open some PDF files on my PC (Desktop and note, each PC) when 2years ago.
But now, I want to know that how to open PDF for keeping more safety (no malware, no exploits, and no security risk) on my PC.


My method:
Past
I was used to open PDF files by the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (with enable enhanced security, and unable Javascript).

Now
I am opening PDF files by Microsoft Edge (associated to ".pdf" files).


Question:
Please tell me about more safe method for opening PDF files.
Which software is better as PDF viewer, browser (edge,chrome,firefox...) or Adobe Reader?


My PC:
Windows 10 Home
Windows update patches are installed at fast after released it.
Security software is F-secure SAFE (I can use Avast Free instead of F-secure).
I have also installed Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome to my PC.


It may be that I will reply everyone too late. But I am going to read all answers. My ability of using English is not good, so if there are some miss-senteces as question, please teach me it by all means.

Thank you.

PDFs are used to compromise the system via exploitation of vulnerabilities in the PDF reader\editor.

Adobe is widely installed on many millions of systems - that is why malc0ders target it.

Switch to a PDF reader\editor that is not widely targeted by malc0ders. It is the most simple, cheapest strategy.

 

[509322]

if you had a choice between Sumatra and Edge, to open a suspicious PDF, which would you choose?

Simply choosing between one or the other without consideration of any external security factors - Sumatra. That's only because I think nobody bothers to target it. Sumatra is a limited functionality\complexity product compared to Edge - even though Edge obviously has more protection mechanisms.

I don't worry about it. PDF exploits usually succeed due to someone running an old, unpatched version of Adobe Reader.

To be perfectly honest, I am much more interested in a PDF reader's reliability, simple operation - especially smooth scrolling and the ability to search the document and then copy-paste text\images. In that regard, both Sumatra and Edge work just fine. I actually use both.

 

[HarborFront]

Foxit Reader has a Safe Reading Mode which protects users from a wide range of malicious PDF file actions.

Foxit Reader intros new Safe Reading feature | ZDNet

 

[kamo_jisan]

Good evening everyone. Thank you very much for your replies and I have read all.
These are very useful for me to decide software for keeping security when I open PDF files.

I use pdf viewer for viewing PDF. I rarely use viewers for editing PDF files.
So I decided to use Microsoft Edge as PDF viewer for the time being.
According to everyone's opinions, Edge is the most userful PDF viewer for me if I use it for only viewing PDF.
And, Smatra PDF also sounds good for me. I felt it.

Thank you very much!

 

[DC47561]

Another vote for Foxit or using the browser's native PDF viewer in safe mode - As always. A non-administrator user account is advised.