QuestionS about possible security issue

[Mawhrin]

Version: free / demo
OS: Windows 7

Hi,

I have noticed that when I open a PDF file from a USB key with PDF-XChange Viewer, then close it and eject the key, I can still access the document through "Recent files", even though the USB key has been physically removed. This does not seem to happen in Acrobat Reader for example.
Does it mean that PDF-XChange Viewer keeps a copy of the previously opened files?
When I remove the file from "Recent files", does it also completely remove the copy of the file?
If I use a password protected PDF file, will it solve the problem or will PDF-XChange Viewer keep an unprotected copy of the file, somewhere?
It is a possible security issue, since some PDF files might contain sensitive info.

Thank you in advance for your answers

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi Mawhrin,

I see you have both posted thison the forums here and asked the same question via email. I will post my email response here for the benefit of anyone looking for a similar thing.

Thanks for the email and report.

The PDF-XChange Viewer does not make copies of the files so this should not be possible. If you have ejected the USB drive then opening the file from the Viewer history should fail. Can you Reproduce this? I'd be interested in seeing the value of the "Full File Name" when you right click it's tab and select that:


Alternatively - what happens when you try to open the containing folder from that menu, again after opening from the recents list with the target USB drive ejected. It should not be possible and you should get an error message. If this were a temp file then I would expect to see a tmp location.

Does that make sense what I'm asking?

Sincerely

[Mawhrin]

Hi,
Thanks for your prompt answers
I think I know what's happening: the PDF file is a Zip archive (might not be the right terminology, sorry about that), password protected (the PDF file itself is not protected)
When I double click on the Zip file, it asks me to enter the password and then it opens automatically into PDF-XChange Viewer. So the unzipped file must be kept on the computer, not the key, by the system or whatever program is used to unzip, in a temp folder that PDF-XChange Viewer can access after the key is removed.
Here is the value of the file:
C:\Users\Maw\AppData\Local\Temp\Temp2_Perso.pdf.zip\Perso.pdf
Do you think it's what's happening?
I should protect the PDF files themselves with a password (opening)...
Sorry to have bothered you about that
Sincerely
Maw

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi Mawhrin,

I think that's exactly what's happening. The temp file was still on your hard drive from the zip file extraction. I believe that if you were to remove the file C:\Users\Maw\AppData\Local\Temp\Temp2_Perso.pdf.zip then you will also see that C:\Users\Maw\AppData\Local\Temp\Temp2_Perso.pdf.zip\Perso.pdf is gone.

Case closed.