Can a .pdf contain malware/virus?

For my new job i have to download PDF files all day from people that want to travel
to another country. Now i just downloaded another PDF and my windows defender said
the PDF contained a virus..

Can PDF files even contain virusses?

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6 comments
Malix82
•
5 yr. ago
yep.

pdf as a format has so many features, one of them is embedding. Basically a

malicious executable or script can be embedded into a pdf file.

wonder why most malicious emails have .doc, .docx, or .pdf as an attachment?

edit: oh look, comments in stack exchange

https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/64052/can-a-pdf-file-contain-a-
virus :)

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u/ManoRocha avatar
ManoRocha
•
5 yr. ago
There was a way to save .exe files as PDFs. Or at least show .exe files as a .pdf.

Just upload the PDF to a online PDF editor / viewer and check if it gives you any
error
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GiantTreeLP
•
5 yr. ago
Yes, PDFs that are not constraint to the PDF/A standard can contain dynamic content
like Javascript and much more. Just like a Word document, a PDF can embed other
documents and files.

So yes, a PDF can indeed contain malicious content.

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u/Kormoraan avatar
Kormoraan
•
5 yr. ago
short answer: yes. basically everything that contains dynamic elements can be used
for carrying malware. Portable Document Format can contain dynamic elements.

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u/yeleh_te avatar
yeleh_te
•
5 yr. ago
Are you sure it is a PDF file?

Enable the setting to show file extensions, if you are not sure:
https://www.howtogeek.com/205086/beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions/
Edit: more info on scripts in pdfs
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/37376891/execute-bash-script-within-a-pdf-file

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