DEV-TOOLSApril 6, 20261 min read22 views

Adobe modifies hosts file to detect whether Creative Cloud is installed

Adobe has been caught modifying the system hosts file on Windows and macOS to detect if Creative Cloud is installed, sparking concerns over privacy and system integrity.

If you’re using Windows or macOS and have Adobe Creative Cloud installed, you may want to take a peek at your hosts file. It turns out Adobe adds a bunch of entries into the hosts file to detect if you have Creative Cloud already installed when you visit their website.

When you visit the Adobe homepage, they load an image using JavaScript. If the DNS entry in your hosts file is present, your browser connects to their server, signaling that Creative Cloud is installed. They previously used localhost, but after Chrome started blocking Local Network Access, they switched to this hosts file hack.

This raises the question: at what point does commercial software become malware? This is reminiscent of the Sony/BMG rootkit fiasco. While editing the hosts file isn't a rootkit-level exploit, it is something third-party software should never touch without explicit user knowledge.

In an era of AI-generated code, there are growing concerns that such system-level modifications could lead to corrupted OS installations or data loss if not properly quality-controlled. AI-assisted development can be dangerous because it feels competent but may produce incorrect or dangerous logic. Without experienced developers to review the code, these automated "hacks" can compromise system integrity.

The scale of Adobe's footprint is massive. Community cleanup tools have identified over 900 lines in the hosts file related to Adobe's tracking and licensing services. This level of intrusion highlights a trend where software assumes superiority over the user's machine, a practice that many argue should be restricted or made illegal.

Source: Hacker News

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