Can I embed an exe payload in a pdf, doc, ppt or any other file format?

calendar_today Asked May 31, 2010
thumb_up 10 upvotes
history Updated April 16, 2026

Question posted 2010 · +2 upvotes

Is there any way that I can embed a .exe file in a .pdf, .doc, .xls, or .ppt file in such a way that upon opening the containing file, the document processor will run the .exe automatically without the user intentionally executing it?

Accepted answer +10 upvotes

Yes, this is totally possible and pretty easy to accomplish. You can use one of the many Adobe Acrobat Exploits in the Metasploit framework. Next you can use a download+exec shellcode to download and execute your payload, err I mean “.exe”.

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