The more complex a format is, the less chance there is that its security features will work in all cases. A vulnerability has turned up that lets sneaky people alter digitally signed PDF documents. A German team discovered a “shadow attack” vulnerability in the format. It’s easiest to do this if the document’s creator designed it to be altered after signing. The victim sees one set of content and signs it; the dishonest creator gets the document back, changes its appearance, and passes it on.
Continue reading
- Gary McGath, Freelance Technical Writer
Are you looking for expert, reliable writing on computer technology? Drop me a note. - Follow Mad File Format Science on WordPress.com
-
Join 144 other subscribers
-
Recent Posts
RSS feed
Apple HEIC vs. students
When a device uses a relatively obscure image format and a site that accepts uploads fumbles it, who is to blame? This is the question that came up when students couldn’t complete their AP college exams because of such a situation.
Students took pictures with their iOS devices of materials they submitted for the test. Their phones stored and uploaded the pictures in HEIC format. The College Board’s server didn’t recognize the format and timed out. The students immediately failed and were told they could retake the test in three weeks.
Continue reading →
Comments Off on Apple HEIC vs. students
Posted in commentary
Tagged Apple, HEIC, HEIF, iOS