Adobe Modifies Your Hosts File for Their Analytics
Thom Holwerda (via Hacker News):
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, for a very stupid reason.
[…]
If the DNS entry in your hosts file is present, your browser will therefore connect to their server, so they know you have Creative Cloud installed, otherwise the load fails, which they detect.
They used to just hit http://localhost:<various ports>/cc.png which connected to your Creative Cloud app directly, but then Chrome started blocking Local Network Access, so they had to do this hosts file hack instead.
Sure enough, my /etc/hosts contains:
## Adobe Creative Cloud WAM - Start ## 166.117.29.222 detect-ccd.creativecloud.adobe.com ## Adobe Creative Cloud WAM - End ##
I don’t even use Creative Cloud. Lightroom Classic is the only app I wish I could get from the Mac App Store, because Adobe’s own updater is so intrusive and terrible.
Previously:
- Adobe Raises Monthly Photography Plan Prices
- U.S. Sues Adobe Over Subscriptions
- Adobe at 40
- Adobe Genuine Service
- Why Do Web Browsers Allow Access to the Local Network?
- Adobe Jumps the Shark
- Adobe Creative Cloud Installer Deleting Hidden Files
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Is there recommended action? If I remove it, will it break the installation? Will they just add it again?
The recommended action is to pirate Adobe software and edit your host file to block Adobe’s servers. A better product at a better price, with no hidden cancellation fees or nosy phones home.
