Beware of Free Online File Converters That Are Actually Malware
Converting .pdf to .docx and back may seem like a quick and easy task that can be done online for free, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. A new alert from the FBI Denver Field Office warns that some online document converters are also loading malware onto unsuspecting users’ computers, giving attackers access to your device and your data.
The tools can also scrape files submitted for conversion to extract sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, email addresses, passwords or MFA bypass tokens, banking information, and cryptocurrency seed phrases and wallet addresses.
How to detect malicious file converters
This scheme is easy to miss because malicious file converters will do what they advertise, such as converting .docx to .pdf or merging multiple files into one. However, the file you download may contain hidden ransomware, adware, or potentially dangerous software that makes your computer vulnerable to attackers. You may also be prompted to download a conversion tool (which is actually malware) or install a malicious browser extension on your device.
According to the Malwarebytes Labs scam report , the following domains contain malware:
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Imageconvertors[.]com (phishing)
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Convertitoremp3[.]it (risky software)
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Convertisseurs-pdf[.]com (risky software)
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Convertscloud[.]com (phishing)
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Convertix-api[.]xyz (Trojan)
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Convertallfiles[.]com (adware)
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freejpgtopdfconverter[.]com (risky software)
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primeconvertapp[.]com (risky software)
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9convert[.]com (risky software)
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Convertpro[.]org (risky software)
While these are known scams, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other free file converters containing malware ready to infect your device. The best thing you can do is to avoid these tools completely and use proven software instead. But if you suspect you’ve been compromised, start by taking basic steps to protect your identity , including changing your passwords with a clean, secure device and running an anti-malware program to detect any threats.
How to Convert Files Safely
When you need to quickly convert one type of document to another, you might be tempted to Google “free file converter” and click on whatever comes up, but don’t do it.
Instead, start with the software or applications you have that can open the file and see if you can export or save it in a different format (see File > Export or File > Save As ). Microsoft Office and many PDF editors have this feature, or you can use Adobe’s free tools to convert to and from PDF, as well as several other document converters available for free.
Please be aware that when converting files you may lose some formatting.