Q: Is PDF Studio affected by the recent CVE-2021-44228 – Apache Log4j Vulnerability? A: NO, the new log4j vulnerability does NOT affect our PDF Studio & PDF Studio Viewer products. This applies to all 5 of the recently reported log4j vulnerabilities. CVE-2021-44228 (CVSS score: 10.0) – A remote code execution vulnerability affecting Log4j versions from 2.0-beta9 to […]
Category: Security
Adding security, passwords and permissions in PDF documents
How to set document permissions so that other people cannot edit my JavaScript
Q: I created JavaScript on a PDF document. How can I secure it so that people are not allowed to make changes? A: You will need to un-check “Allow document Assembly” option under Document Security. For more details, follow the steps below: Go to Security -> Document Security and select Security tab Click Edit button […]
“The signature contains a timestamp (…) that is not trusted” displays on signature validation status dialog
Q: When looking at a digital signature validation status dialog, I see “The signature contains a timestamp from a Timestamp Authority that is not trusted” message. What is this message and how can I solve it? A: Timestamps are signed just as documents are signed. For a timestamp signature to be valid, you must have trusted […]
Is there a way to set an expiration date on a PDF document?
Q: I want to set an expiration date on a PDF document so that the PDF expires after a certain amount of time and can no longer be open. Is it possible in PDF Studio? A: There is no concept of expiration date defined in the PDF specifications format. And unless you are using a […]
PDF digital signatures validation status
PDF Studio validates any digital signatures upon opening a document. PDF Studio will first check that the digital signatures in the document use valid certificates and that the document has not been changed. It will then check that the certificate used to issue the digital ID in the signature was issued by a trusted certificate […]
How to make a PDF form non-editable
Q: Is there a way to make an interactive PDF form non-editable and make sure that fields data on the form can not be changed? A: You can make a PDF form non-editable by either using Document Permissions (Method 1 below) or by flattening the form fields (Method 2 below). Method 1: Use Document Security […]
Open PDF document with an Open Password
Q: I password protected a PDF document. PDF Studio requires a password to open; however if I email it to my iPhone, the document seems unprotected and opens without asking for the password. Is my document still secure? A: In the PDF specifications, there are 2 passwords: the open/user password to open the document and […]
What are all the different document permissions in a PDF?
PDF Studio 9 and above will enforce and allow to clear the following permissions on a PDF documents: Document Permissions, Usage Rights Permissions, Digital Signature Permissions, and Certifying Signature Permissions. Protected PDF Document: Document Permissions PDF documents can be protected with passwords and permissions. Document permissions are set on a case by case basis and […]
AES 256 Encryption and Java Cryptographic Encryption (JCE)
Q: When I open a document with AES 256 encryption, I get the following error message: “Encrypting or decrypting PDF documents with 256-bit AES encryption is supported but requires the Java Cryptographic Encryption (JCE)”. Does PDF Studio support opening PDF documents that were secured with AES 256 encryption and does it support encrypting PDF documents […]
AES 256 algorithm and support in PDF Studio
PDF Studio 9 and above: Support for opening and encrypting PDFs with the latest algorithm AES 256 algorithm (R=6). This algorithm was defined in the latest PDF specifications (PDF 2.0) and is compatible with Acrobat X and later. The new algorithm is used when applying new signatures but the “old” algorithm (R=5) is still verified […]
