One day after warning of a new attack on its Reader and Acrobat software, Adobe issued a security advisory Tuesday offering users some advice on how to mitigate the problem. One day after warning of a new attack on its Reader and Acrobat software, Adobe issued a security advisory Tuesday offering users some advice on how to mitigate the problem.Security experts say the flaw lies in the way Adobe’s software executes JavaScript code, and Adobe offered a few workarounds in its advisory to help users avoid being hacked by the attack.The simplest way is to turn off JavaScript in Reader and Acrobat. Security experts have long recommended this option, because a number of Adobe attacks already depend on the use of JavaScript. To disable JavaScript, select Edit > Preferences and then pick the JavaScript category. There, users can uncheck the “Enable Acrobat JavaScript” choice.Criminals have been sending out malicious PDF files since Friday that include this new attack code, but these attacks have not been widespread. However, security experts worry that as information on the bug spreads, these attacks will become a bigger problem. Several hacker sites on Tuesday claimed to have published samples of the attack, which means that the code could soon be picked up by even more criminals.“This is legit and is very bad,” the anti-malware volunteer group Shadowserver said in a post to its Web site late Monday. The flaw lies in the current version of Adobe Reader on Windows, Macintosh and Unix systems. Macintosh and Unix computers will crash when they try to open the malicious files, but Adobe and outside security experts say that, so far, the attack code only works on some versions of Windows. Older versions of Reader and Adobe Acrobat are also affected by the issue, Adobe said. Windows Vista and Windows 7 use a Data Execution Prevention technology that prevents the attack from doing anything more than crashing Reader, Adobe noted.Adobe is not saying when it will patch the issue, but its next set of Reader and Acrobat patches is due Jan. 12. Related content news Chinese state actors behind espionage attacks on Southeast Asian government The distinct groups of activities formed three different clusters, each attributed to a specific APT group. By Shweta Sharma Sep 25, 2023 4 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks feature How to pick the best endpoint detection and response solution EDR software has emerged as one of the preeminent tools in the CISO’s arsenal. Here’s what to look for and what to avoid when choosing EDR software. By Linda Rosencrance Sep 25, 2023 10 mins Intrusion Detection Software Security Monitoring Software Data and Information Security feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Data and Information Security IT Leadership brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe