Re: Tracking links in data*** PDFs

On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:15:19 GMT, the renowned Christopher Cole
<cole@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>I just got a data*** on a family of inductors from a vendor. When I open
>the data***, it tries to connect to some website that tracks viewing
>history of this particular PDF (IP addr, serial # of document, time/date,
>etc.). Probably interesting information to their marketing department,
>but it is a nuisance to the design engineer opening the data***.
>Microsoft anti-spyware warns this is happening and allows me to block such
>connections. This PDF is not confidential, and is not a controlled copy.
>
>Has anyone else seen such behavior by component vendors? I have thousands
>of datasheets archived for reference purposes, and I have never come across
>this in any other data***. I hope this is not going to start a trend.
>
>-Chris

I saw it recently in a free non-data*** document and immediately
deleted said document. Remote Approach is the name of the service.

http://www.remoteapproach.com/

Can you see their URL or IP (? 65.17.226.156 ?) if you open the
document in a text editor? Can you point to a sample document? I'd
like to block whatever they are using right at the entry firewall.

They are working on even worse stuff- like documents you won't be able
to read unless a connection is made over the net and they apparently
now have ones they can remotely prevent from being read (presumably by
blacklisting them and transmitting information to the reader when the
document comes a-calling).

I suggest nipping this ridiculous crap in the bud-- let the vendor
know in no uncertain terms that this spyware stuff is not appreciated.
Since it communicates via port 80, it's unlikely that most people will
even notice what it's doing. Also, full Acrobat needs to be able to
use port 80 to use all the features.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@xxxxxxxxxxxx Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com
.

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