How to prevent SumatraPDF from leaking the list of PDF files I read???

[AnxiousPleaseHelp]

Morning,

The reason I stopped using Adobe and chose SumatraPDF is because I want to maintain my privacy. I'm extremely afraid of someone on the Internet having access to the PDF files I open in SumatraPDF.

This problem really scares me as I want to maintain my privacy. 😨 😨 😨

How can I make SumatraPDF "locked down" so that it's unable to contact anyone on the Internet or make any connections at all?

I've been so worried about this that I've stopped reading PDF files.

I hope someone can help me! 😢

[kjk]

See https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/docs/Configure-for-restricted-use

[AnxiousPleaseHelp]

See https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/docs/Configure-for-restricted-use

Thanks for your input!

The reason this worries me so much is that 95% of my reading is now using PDF files!

The only other idea I had was building a device that was completely 100% disconnected from the outside world and I'd just use that for reading PDF files... 😢 😢 😢

[AnxiousPleaseHelp]

See https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/docs/Configure-for-restricted-use

I just had another idea. What if I used a firewall to prevent SumatraPDF from making any type of outgoing communication? It terrifies to think that it'd be possible for SumatraPDF to leak out the PDFs I'm reading to someone on the internet... 😢 😢 😢 😢 😢

I would pay money for this feature so please let me know if it's possible!

[GitHubRulesOK]

if the PDF intentionally is designed to report to Mothership as many can do, they need specially crafted obscured encoding and some do. But would likely need a JavaScript engine such as Acrobat or others like MuPDF provide. Currently SumatraPDF (based on MuPDF)does not use such an engine feature needed for signing or forms submission. Thus the only current action loophole may be click a page link could tell a remote site, your reading centerfold of Mens Weekly. So if you disable hyperlinking in restrictions ini, the one and only possibility is a masked hyperlink.

The most likely setting to block outgoing linking is LinkProtocols

[strawbeard]

See https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/docs/Configure-for-restricted-use

@AnxiousPleaseHelp This should be the solution, AFAICT (I don't use it, since I don't worry that much about my PDF's).
Follow the link at the bottom https://github.com/sumatrapdfreader/sumatrapdf/blob/master/docs/sumatrapdfrestrict.ini, download the file (there's a symbol for that in the top frame). Then edit it, replacing the 1 in the line
InternetAccess = 1
with 0. Place the file into the the directory where Sumatrapdf is installed. There are (tolerable) side effects - read the comment lines in the file. Didn't try this myself, but it looks easy.

Edit: Forget this...

• Of course, the built-in Firewall Windows Defender (extended) can block access from and to the internet (even safer), if you know how to create a new rule - I can't help you there.

I tested making a blocking incoming and an outgoing rule for the firewall but SumatraPDF could still check for program updates, maybe using services or protocols - so it's not a water-tight solution. (Or needs more complex rules.)