How to Safely Check PDF Security (2025 Guide)
The complete guide to detecting malicious PDFs, phishing attempts, and hidden scripts without risking your device.
"Opening a PDF attachment can trigger malware instantly. Our tool analyzes the file structure safely inside your browser, so you never have to execute the code."
At pdfcanada.ca, we’ve developed a Local Security Analyzer. In this guide, we'll explain how to inspect suspicious PDFs for threats like hidden scripts, external IP connections, and malicious launch actions without ever opening them in Adobe Reader.
No Execution
Static analysis of file structure.
Total Privacy
File never leaves your device.
Safe Preview
View content with scripts disabled.
How to Scan a PDF for Malware (Safely)
Follow these steps to analyze a suspicious file without executing its payload:
- Open the Analyzer: Go to the PDF Security Analyzer.
- Drop the File: Drag and drop the suspicious PDF. Because we use WebAssembly, the file is parsed locally. It is NEVER uploaded to any server.
- Review the Report: Look at the Risk Score. We flag high-risk elements like
/JS(JavaScript),/Launch(External Programs), and/URI(Links). - Use Safe Preview: Switch to the "Safe Preview" tab to read the document content. This renders the PDF as a static image, effectively neutralizing any click-jacking or auto-execution scripts.
Common PDF Threats We Detect
Embedded JavaScript
Attackers embed scripts that run as soon as the PDF opens. These can download viruses or steal cookies.
Launch Actions
Commands that try to open external programs like PowerShell or Command Prompt to hijack your system.
Phishing Links
Links that look like legitimate login pages but send your credentials to hackers. We inspect the actual URL destination.
Hidden Objects
Malicious payloads hidden in non-standard PDF objects or streams to evade antivirus signatures.
Why Local Analysis is Safer
Uploading a suspicious file to an online scanner can be risky if the file contains sensitive corporate data. Our tool runs strictly in your browser sandbox. The PDF never leaves your computer. This allows you to inspect potential threats in confidential documents without violating data privacy policies.
How to scan a PDF file?
Use the analyzer on pdfcanada.ca. It parses the internal PDF structure to find hidden threats.
Quick Steps
- 1Open Tool
- 2Import PDF
- 3Check Links
FAQ
Can this tool simplify a PDF to remove viruses?
Does this replace my antivirus?
What does 'Safe Preview' mean?
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Article Authored By
The PDFCanada.ca Engineering Team
Senior PDF & Security Specialists
Toronto, Canada"PDFCanada.ca was established in 2024 to disrupt the exploitative 'upload-and-harvest' model of modern PDF tools. Our engineering team, based in Ontario, specializes in high-performance WebAssembly (WASM) implementations that bring server-grade PDF manipulation directly to the user's browser, ensuring absolute data sovereignty."
No data ever reaches a server
Instant local processing
Free tools for every Canadian