How to Change Trust Settings in Acrobat Certificate Viewer
Question details
The user wants to enable all trust options for a digital certificate, including certifying documents, running dynamic content, and executing privileged JavaScript.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Reviewing a digital certificate's permissions and attempting to grant additional trust privileges for specific PDF operations.
- Observed behavior
- The Certificate Viewer displays a green check for signing documents, but shows red X marks for certifying documents, running dynamic content, privileged JavaScript, and performing privileged system operations.
Ensure the certificate you are modifying comes from a verified and trusted authority before granting permissions for dynamic content or privileged operations to prevent severe security risks.
Modify Certificate Trust Configurations in Acrobat
Access the Certificate Viewer to manually adjust the trust settings for a specific certificate that you have verified.
Certificate trust settings are strictly controlled by the certificate's inherent trust configuration and your PDF reader's security policies. You should only change these settings if you fully understand the security implications of allowing networking, printing, or file access via a PDF.
Open the PDF document in Acrobat. Click on the 'Signatures' panel on the left side of the screen, right-click the signature in question, and select 'Show Signature Properties'.
In the Signature Properties dialog box, click the 'Show Signer's Certificate' button to open the Certificate Viewer.
Select the 'Trust' tab located at the top of the Certificate Viewer window to view the current permissions (green checks and red X marks).
Click the 'Add to Trusted Certificates' button. When prompted with a security warning, read it carefully and click 'OK' to proceed.
Check the boxes for the specific actions you want to allow, such as 'Certifying documents', 'Dynamic content', or 'Privileged JavaScript'. Click 'OK' to save your new trust settings.
Securely Manage PDF Certificates with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible PDF reader and editor that makes verifying digital signatures, managing document security, and processing certificates simple and intuitive.
- 1. Open your secure PDF: Launch WPS Office and open the PDF document containing the digital signatures.
- 2. Access protection tools: Navigate to the 'Protect' tab on the top ribbon to access security and signature features.
- 3. Manage digital signatures: Click on 'Manage Signatures' or view the signature panel to see the digital certificates applied to the document.
- 4. Verify certificate properties: Click on a specific signature to validate its integrity, view the signer's identity, and check the verification status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are trust options like dynamic content marked with a red X by default?
By default, PDF readers disable high-risk permissions such as dynamic content, privileged JavaScript, and system operations to protect your device from malicious scripts. They must be manually enabled only for certificates you explicitly trust.
Can I force enable trust settings if they are restricted or grayed out?
No. If the trust settings are restricted by an IT administrator group policy, or if the certificate lacks the necessary key usage extensions, you cannot manually override and enable them.
How do I know if a certificate is safe to trust with privileged system operations?
You should view the certificate details and check its certification path. If the certificate routes back to a recognized root Certificate Authority (like DigiCert or GlobalSign) and you can independently verify the sender's identity, it is generally safe to trust.
