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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

Google searches for “PDF” in 2024

December 2024 by Duff Johnson
Article


Most people searching for “pdf” are interested in a document, not the file format. Google Trends data offers a window into past and current perceptions of pdf, and offers some … Read more

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December 2024 by Duff Johnson
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The PDF Association looks back at industry activities, events and accomplishments in 2024.

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November 2024 by PDF Association staff
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We’ve established a new public GitHub repository to allow anyone to log and discuss issues and requests against PDF Association … Read more

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November 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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In 2021, not a single tested implementation passed this test. 3 years later about three-quarters of viewers we checked now … Read more

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October 2024 by Duff Johnson
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Accessibility considerations for digital content aren’t limited to navigation, reading and interaction. Users also need to be able to archive, … Read more

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September 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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This PDF-UX article offers an overview of bookmarks and suggests considerations and general best practices for every PDF author, and … Read more

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September 2024 by PDF Association staff
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PDF Association members – especially those working on PDF’s imaging model – can now access TC 42 WG 23 resources … Read more

Article, For members only

August 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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Does your PDF viewer fully support page labels? Does your PDF authoring software? Support for page labels can be a … Read more

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August 2024 by PDF Association staff
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The third PDF Week of 2024 will be hosted by Charles University in the beautiful city of Prague, in the … Read more

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July 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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To avoid confusing and frustrating users, applications can and should be robustly prepared for significant changes to PDF – with … Read more

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July 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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These synthetic files are intended for user experience and human-computer interaction (HCI) specialists to assess the behavior of their current … Read more

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