EN Dangerzone: read an untrusted attachment more safely
Contents
At a glance
An unexpected statement or refund form deserves a separate reading copy. Convert it with Dangerzone, check the result and keep the sender's claims untrusted.
Decide whether you need the attachment
A message claiming to come from an exchange may include a statement, a complaint form or instructions for recovering funds. Before reading the attachment, ask whether you requested it and whether the task exists inside your account. Open the service through your saved address and contact support there. A convincing filename, company logo or familiar sender name does not establish that the request is genuine.
If there is no reason to examine the file, do not open it just to satisfy curiosity. This guide is for readers who need to inspect a supported document while reducing exposure to its active contents. It does not investigate malware or prove that a sender is legitimate. For a company device or a targeted threat, involve your security team before moving evidence. [3]
Understand what the conversion changes
Dangerzone, maintained by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, renders a document into page images inside a sandbox and builds a new PDF from those pixels outside it. The document-processing sandbox has no network access. The resulting copy does not preserve the original's scripts, embedded files or interactive forms. This is a conversion workflow, not a verdict from an antivirus scanner.
Treat the words and images as untrusted afterwards. A demand to transfer cryptocurrency, a seed-phrase request or a payment QR code can remain visible in the converted pages. Conversion does not verify an account balance, a signature or a promised refund. Nor can it repair an already compromised computer. Keep the operating system, PDF reader, Dangerzone and its sandbox updated; the project documents residual risk from combinations of vulnerabilities. [3][6]
Prepare a supported, updated installation
Start from the download links on dangerzone.rocks and follow the installation instructions for your platform. The documentation covers Windows, macOS on Intel and Apple silicon, Ubuntu, Debian and Fedora; Tails and Qubes OS have separate instructions, with Qubes support marked beta. Windows on Arm is unsupported, and Windows 10 receives best-effort support. Do not assume that a related Linux distribution has been tested merely because its package installs.
On 6 November 2026, the latest listed release was 0.11.1. Its October advisory concerns importing offline sandbox archives, not ordinary document conversion. Use the current release and never accept a sandbox archive supplied by the suspicious sender. For the ordinary graphical workflow, use the project's installation and update mechanism. On first launch, wait for initialization; a slim Linux package may ask to download the conversion sandbox. Enable sandbox updates through the documented prompt or menu. [2][4]
Keep originals and reading copies separate
Save the attachment into a clearly named working folder without opening it in its associated office application. Keep the message and sender details if you may need to report the request. For sensitive records, use an approved local location rather than casually uploading the file to an online converter or a public malware-analysis service. Check your organization's handling rules before processing confidential or evidential material.
Launch Dangerzone and use its file-selection button, or drag the saved file into its window. Check the selected filename before proceeding. Begin with one document so that a failure cannot be confused with another file's result. The instructions below concern formats Dangerzone supports, including common office documents, PDFs and images. Do not rename an unsupported file's extension to force it through the converter. [1]
Review output, archive and OCR settings
Choose an output location you can recognize. The default filename ends in -safe.pdf, which helps distinguish the reading copy from the original. Keep the option that moves originals into an unsafe subfolder if that fits your evidence-handling rules. This moves the file; it neither deletes it nor changes what is inside. Record the new location so that a later search does not lead you back to the original by accident.
OCR means optical character recognition: it adds searchable text inferred from page images. Select the document's language, or turn OCR off when you only need to look at the pages. If you want to inspect the output folder first, disable automatic opening after conversion. Before starting, verify three things: the selected input is correct, the output path is clear, and you know where the original will be retained. [1]
Convert and verify the reading copy
Start conversion with Convert to Safe Document and wait for the completion indicator. Long documents and OCR can take longer than a short PDF. A failed conversion is not a clean bill of health. Do not respond to an error by opening the original, enabling macros or disabling system protection. Check the current version, supported format and official troubleshooting guidance; ask your security team when the failure persists.
After success, open the newly created PDF from the chosen output folder. Check that pages are present and readable, especially tables, small print and page edges. If OCR is enabled, search for a harmless phrase you can see on the page and compare the copied text with the image. Independently verify amounts, account identifiers and wallet addresses before using them elsewhere: recognition errors can change characters. Do not infer authenticity from a successful conversion. [1][3]
Work through a harmless practice example
Before processing a real attachment, create your own two-page document containing a heading, a short table and a phrase you can search for. Save it as practice.docx. Select it in Dangerzone, retain the default output suffix and choose the appropriate OCR language. With original archiving enabled, the expected outcome is practice-safe.pdf and the original inside the unsafe subfolder.
Read both output pages, check every table row and search for your sample phrase. This exercise tests your understanding of paths and settings without introducing a suspicious file. It is an example to perform yourself, not a claim that we tested a malicious sample. For the real attachment, repeat the same checks on the output, but confirm any requested action through the service's independent support channel before following it. [1]
Share carefully and preserve necessary evidence
If you must share a reading copy, select the converted PDF deliberately rather than forwarding the original message with its attachment. Check the recipient and document contents first. Dangerzone's FAQ explains that visible watermarks, distinctive wording and other identifying patterns may survive conversion. Removing document metadata does not anonymize everything visible on a page. Redaction and source protection require a separate, appropriate workflow.
Retain the original only as required by your reporting or retention process, clearly separated from everyday documents. A converted PDF is not an unchanged evidential original and may lose functionality or structure you need for another purpose. Record which file you read and how you produced it. Revisit this workflow when Dangerzone changes its interface, platform support or security guidance; do not treat today's menu labels as permanent. [5]
Frequently asked questions
Does conversion prove a file was malicious?
No. Dangerzone creates a converted copy; it does not diagnose the original. [1]
Can I use the converted copy to fill an interactive form?
The original interactive form is not preserved. Confirm the legitimate workflow with the service. [1]
Does this remove visible personal information?
No. Check the pages before sharing; visible identifying details can remain. [5]
Evidence & sources
Source record: · Checked:
Record limits · Official documentation checked on 6 November 2026 against release 0.11.1. This practical guide is not a report of a new attack. Interface labels and platform support can change.
- Source reported
Dangerzone documents selection, output naming, original archiving and optional OCR.
Supporting excerpt: Convert your first document - Dangerzone
The safe file gets the same name as the original
Convert your first document - Dangerzone ↗ - Source reported
Platform support has limits, including no Windows on Arm support.
Supporting excerpt: Operating System support - Dangerzone
Windows on Arm
Operating System support - Dangerzone ↗ - Source reported
Dangerzone does not protect an already compromised host or validate document claims.
Supporting excerpt: Our Security model - Dangerzone
A compromised host.
Our Security model - Dangerzone ↗ - Source reported
Version 0.11.1 fixes offline sandbox-archive import vulnerabilities; ordinary document conversion is unaffected.
Supporting excerpt: Advisory: Dangerzone 0.11.1 released
Converting documents is not affected
Advisory: Dangerzone 0.11.1 released ↗ - Source reported
Visible identifying information may remain after conversion.
Supporting excerpt: FAQ - Dangerzone
Anything visible on the page will not be removed.
FAQ - Dangerzone ↗ - Source reported
Dangerzone processes documents in a sandbox without network access and rebuilds a PDF from pixels.
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