Can you get malware from opening PDF inside app chat?

[WLK]

In crypto currency exchanger chat (like famous one starting with “B”) you need to verify that the person sending you money is not a scammer who uses a stolen card and you asking for receipt.

Can you get malware from it PDF receipt if it’s opened inside via crypto exchange website on laptop or app on iPhone like on this screenshot I took from internet?

[WLK]

This screenshot was made and posted by random user online. This user sent a PDF receipt to a seller of crypto. My question is about can you as a seller get a malware from opening PDF file inside app on iPhone/Android or via website on PC?

[AdvancedSetup]

Yes it is possible to be infected by a compromised PDF file.

 

 

[WLK]

On 6/29/2024 at 5:44 AM, AdvancedSetup said:

Yes it is possible to be infected by a compromised PDF file.

 

 

I thought that crypto exchange app’s server somehow filter malware from getting to my device or at least don’t let them get inside my device,keeping them on the isolated servers.
How can you defend your device from malware in that case if you need to check those receipts sometimes ? 

[David H. Lipman]

You must fully vet the site.

• Who are they?
• Where are they located (valid postal address)?
• How long have they been in existence?
• Do they have references?

Let me also be more succinct about PDF files.

A PDF can be made to be malicious.  They don't become infected.

The PDF can be malicious in two ways. 

1. The content text of the PDF is of a malicious or nefarious nature such as in the case of a scam whose text appears in a PDF attached to email rather than being in the body of the email.  The placement of the text in a PDF thwarts email based Spam and Content Filters.  It may not infect but it may be malicious in that it employs Social Engineering which is the Human Exploit.
2. The PDF may have embedded malicious code, a URL that leads to malware or a Phishing site or the PDF is specifically crafted to exploit a software vulnerability.