Information about removing unauthorized Adobe Creative Cloud application versions from managed endpoints.
Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM), formerly SCCM
Munki Mac Endpoint Management
University of Illinois IT Pros leveraging MECM and/or Munki endpoint management systems (hosted by Technology Services' Endpoint Services team), who are using Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
Adobe has announced that as of May 8, 2019, specific older versions of some Creative Cloud applications are now considered to be "unauthorized". All use of unauthorized versions is to be discontinued, and they are to be replaced with authorized versions. According to Adobe, continued use of unauthorized Creative Cloud versions puts the University "at risk of potential claims of infringement by third parties".
Adobe has provided a list of authorized and unauthorized CC versions; the table below provides year-of-release versions (e.g. 2017 or 2018) for convenience. Only the applications listed below are subject to Adobe's new authorized version restrictions, so if an application isn't in the list, all versions of it continue to be authorized by Adobe (although legacy versions may no longer be supported by Endpoint Services.)
Adobe Product | Minimum Authorized Version | Maximum Unauthorized Version |
After Effects | 2018 | 2017 |
Animate | 2018 | 2017 |
Audition | 2018 | 2017 |
Bridge | 2018 | 2017 |
Captivate | Patched 2017 (10.0.1) | Unpatched 2017 (Authorized versions available from the Webstore) |
InDesign | 2015 | 2014 |
Lightroom Classic | Patched 2017 (6.1.4) | Unpatched 2017 |
Media Encoder | 2018 | 2017 |
Photoshop | Patched 2017 (18.1.7) | Unpatched 2017 |
Premiere Pro | 2018 | 2017 |
Prelude | 2018 | 2017 |
SpeedGrade | All versions are discontinued | N/A |
The EPS service provides up-to-date versions of Creative Cloud applications; EPS stakeholders can leverage Munki and MECM in order to install authorized versions and keep them updated.
Adobe has created a specialized uninstaller that detects and removes unauthorized app versions. The uninstaller performs satisfactorily in the EPS test environment, so we have packaged it for stakeholder use, although we cannot guarantee that it will perform the same in all environments. Also note that some older versions can't be uninstalled by the uninstaller package, and will therefore require manual removal.
Unit IT Pros are responsible for ensuring that their Adobe Creative Cloud deployments adhere to Adobe's restrictions and are therefore legal.
For MECM- or Munki-related questions, contact the EPS team; for questions about the Adobe changes, email webstore@illinois.edu.