Foxit Reader

[Cameronian]

I've been a happy user of Foxit Reader for some years but was taken by surprise on Wednesday when I got a security warning that Foxit had been caught making some sort of deliberate link to what was described as a "dangerous site" and had been disabled. I had a look at the list of my plugins and there was a warning that my Foxit was dangerously vulnerable so I tried to update it but even after repeated attempts this proved impossible. Taking the decision that the failure of the update process was probably not unconnected to the warning, I did a full Revouninstall of Foxit on all machines. I now see that Mozilla no longer offer Foxit as a download.

Can anyone help with more information on what actually happened to Foxit, please? Is it likely to return to grace and, if not, what is recommended as a lightweight, socially responsible unmeddling alternative not from Adobe)? We all need a .pdf reader, after all.

[Milo Minderbinder]

Foxit has known vulnerabilities, but then do does the Adobe Reader, and if Adobe can't get it right.......

When something like this happens you have to ask a few questions
exactly what is giving the warning?
what is the software doing at the time the warning happened?
whats the real risk?

Foxit has ALWAYS downloaded toolbars and junk software when installed. It also has a nasty habit of offering these at random as an "upgrade". My guess is thats whats happened here. If you simply stick to downloading and installing the main Foxit reader program and deselect the addons, you should be OK

And Foxit doesn't come from the Mozilla add-ons page. It comes from the Foxit website......

[mixture]

Is it likely to return to grace and, if not, what is recommended as a lightweight, socially responsible unmeddling alternative not from Adobe

Yawn. :ugh:

Just install Adobe and get on with your life. As you have just demonstrated your very self, no software is guaranteed bug free, no software is guaranteed free of security risks.

At least Adobe Acrobat reader has the might of Adobe behind it to get patches out ASAP.

[le Pingouin]

Mixture, your faith in the corporate world is touching......

[mixture]

Mixture, your faith in the corporate world is touching......

As is your ignorance in Adobe.

Adobe is going nowhere.

Adobe are firmly commited to PDF and the associated Acrobat products.

Believe me, if there's anywhere they are going to be focusing their development and bug fixing efforts its Adobe Acrobat and their associated range of publishing products.

[Bushfiva]

Hi Cameronian, I assume you've got the latest versions of Firefox and the plugin? This sounds like a January issue.

[Cameronian]

Yes, Bushfiva, I think I did have the latest and most unadorned copies. The warning was a credible one. I visited the Foxit homepage and read that they had been dealing with issues but their last fix was more than a month before the warning from Mozilla. Well, I call it a mere warning but normally such a warning is to draw attention to the need to update. This time there was no update available via Mozilla, only a very brief explanation of what was claimed to be the issue. Now it is no longer offered as a plugin at all.

I could have reinstalled the latest version from the Foxit homepage (China?) but chose to come cap in hand for advice about Foxit and the best alternatives on offer. Are there any further thoughts or suggestions?

[Mac the Knife]

If you're that worried then switch to a proper OS.

Mac (ducks)

:suspect:

[Tarq57]

FWIW, I've found Nitro PDF reader a satisfactory replacement for the equally light Foxit. The Only Free PDF Reader and Creator | Nitro PDF Reader (http://www.nitroreader.com/)

[Milo Minderbinder]

"Are there any further thoughts or suggestions?"

Yes, use the Adobe Reader, just as Mixture said
Adobe developed the PDF format in the first place, and are ahead of the others in optimising the software. Besides which, while they may try to induce you to install other software during setup, their attempts are a lot less insiduous than any other PDF reader I can think of.

However I suspect theres a bit of politicking going on ....... the latest Firefox release supposedly has native PDF reading capabilities built in, so obviating the need for a PDF reader plugin. However that doesn't allow you to read standalone PDF files - unless you want to view everything in your internet browser.....
Methinks Mozilla are just playing silly B's

PS - all PDF readers have security holes, just as all internet browsers do also.
The trick is to not open documents indiscriminately - and to disable scripting within the PDF viewer - which is enabled by default

[FullOppositeRudder]

the latest Firefox release supposedly has native PDF reading capabilities built in, so obviating the need for a PDF reader plugin

Thanks Milo. So that explains the rather weird appearance of the online PDFs I looked at lately, and possibly why some of them don't format correctly :mad:

Why do they do this?

(I know - they want to dominate the internet world like everyone else) :(

Bah! Humbug!

[Milo Minderbinder]

Mozilla claimed they made the change in an attempt to improve the security of PDF files.....believe what you will.

Of course in looking for alternatives theres always the obvious that gets overlooked: the Kindle viewing software can display PDF files

[Keef]

I wondered why PDFs suddenly didn't work AT ALL in Firefox on my machine a few weeks ago. I found the "native" PDF non-reader all by myself and switched it back to Adobe Reader.

I don't remember asking it to do that, but I tend not to be as wary with Firefox upgrades as I am with other plugins (the ones that fill the screen with toolbars and browser bars).