Beware of dangerous PDF malware on email! It can break your Windows PC; just DON’T do this

Online hackers are using different tactics to infiltrate your device and steal all your personal details and even money. Recently, the team at HP found a new piece of malware circulating via email with attachments. It’s basically in the form of PDF malware! Yes, a PDF file contains malware powerful enough to damage a Windows PC or laptop. The report mentions that these malware-enabled PDFs are being attached with a message displaying payment and invoice details, often luring users to open the email. The construction of the message is such that the hacker tries to make the user believe that there is some kind of payment related information inside the attached PDF file.

And once the PDF file is opened, it will ask the user to open another Word document – this is the gateway for malware to get into your Windows laptop or PC. The file was loaded with the Snake Keylogger malware. And once it’s in your laptop device, it allows hackers to track almost everything you do from entering and stealing your passwords to personal data, which can lead to to identity fraud.

Why do hackers use PDF and Word files to spread malware?

While sharing the discovery of the Snake Keylogger malware, the HP Threat Research team mentioned: “Over the past decade, attackers have preferred to package malware in Microsoft Office file formats, especially Word and Excel.In fact, in Q1 2022 almost half (45 percent) of the malware blocked by HP Wolf Security used Office formats.” The report explains that the reason is simple. The simplicity behind using PDF or word files to spread malware is that users are used to these file types, the report further explains that hackers are using a number of tricks to escape the development such as embedding malicious files, loading remote archive exploits, and shellcode encryption.

What should Windows users do to protect themselves from PDF malware?

• The researchers explain that this new PDF malware basically relies on the user running on your outdated operating system version. The simplest way to protect yourself from PDF Malware is to download the latest version of Windows available on your device.
• Even if you’re up to date, you should always be on the lookout for unsolicited messages or emails, especially those that take you to a new Window or carry external links or PDF or word files.
• Always double-check some of the malware information in this email or PDF. The easiest way to spot phishing involves simply looking at the sender’s email address. Be sure to cross-check the sender’s email ID with the name of the company mentioned in the message.
• If you are in doubt, then you should contact the company directly to see if the message is from them. This can be a time consuming process but it can help you out of the trap.