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A case study in PDF forensics: The Epstein PDFs

This article details a PDF forensics case study on a small, random selection of the Epstein PDF files released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ). The tranche contains 4,085 PDF files, with an estimated 5,879 remaining unreleased. Key findings include:

  • A difference in PDF version reporting between forensic tools.
  • The presence of two incremental updates.
  • The discovery of a hidden (orphaned) document information dictionary revealing the software used in processing.
  • The DoJ avoided JPEG images to prevent metadata leakage.
  • Overall, the DoJ’s sanitization workflow could be improved to reduce file size and information leakage.
Peter Wyatt

By Peter Wyatt
December 2025

A case study in PDF forensics: The Epstein PDFs

This article details a PDF forensics case study on a small, random selection of the Epstein PDF files released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ). The tranche contains 4,085 PDF files, with an estimated 5,879 remaining unreleased. Key findings include:

  • A difference in PDF version reporting between forensic tools.
  • The presence of two incremental updates.
  • The discovery of a hidden (orphaned) document information dictionary revealing the software used in processing.
  • The DoJ avoided JPEG images to prevent metadata leakage.
  • Overall, the DoJ’s sanitization workflow could be improved to reduce file size and information leakage.
Peter Wyatt

By Peter Wyatt
December 2025

PDFcontainer – a proposal

February 2018 by Duff Johnson
Article


Introduction PDF technology profiles can be leveraged to provide trusted, predictable containers for record types that often present workflow and preservation challenges, with email and case files (associated files in … Read more

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January 2018 by PDF Association staff
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The PDF Association returns to Washington DC next Monday, January 29, 2018 for PDF Day DC, a single day packed … Read more

Article, PDF Association news

December 2017 by Duff Johnson
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PDF files deliver a complete package of information that defines a document; everything that’s needed to represent the text, graphics … Read more

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December 2017 by Duff Johnson
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What is a “document”? A document is a record of some (typically written) content – a publication, a contract, a … Read more

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November 2017 by Duff Johnson
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It’s a question that vexes vendors of web-based solutions everywhere: why do people still insist on PDF files? And why … Read more

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November 2017 by PDF Association staff
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PDF is PDF because files produced with one vendor’s software can be read using a different vendor’s software with no … Read more

Article, PDF Association news

October 2017 by PDF Association staff
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NARA (The National Archives and Records Administration) is the final depository for the long-term records generated by all other agencies … Read more

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August 2017 by Duff Johnson
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The Portable Document Format is perhaps the most common example of a de facto standard, so much so that Wikipedia … Read more

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August 2017 by Matt Kuznicki
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The PDF Association is proud to present the first PDF 2.0 example files made available to the public. Created and … Read more

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July 2017 by PDF Association staff
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The Portable Document Format (commonly known as “PDF”) is a file format developed in the early 1990s as a way … Read more

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July 2017 by PDF 2.0 interops help vendors

The PDF 2.0 interop workshops included many vendors with products for creating, editing and processing PDF files. They came together … Read more

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