Collected research

Gmail - Google Docs Cookie Hijacking through PDF Repurposing

Aditya K Sood · secniche.org

A PDF mailed to a victim is rendered harmlessly by the Google Docs viewer, but choosing print converts it back to its original form and opens it in the browser through the Adobe plugin. Acro JS then runs with an interface to the Google domain, letting the attacker read Gmail and Google Docs cookies. Disclosed to Google on 5 May 2009 and patched by 9 May.

Record

Researcher

Aditya K Sood

Published by

secniche.org

Topic

Identity

In the archive

• Collected in the 2009 research round

Related sources

• advisory gmail google docs pdf repurposing attack Whitepaper

Tags

• pdf
• cookie
• same-origin-policy
• sop-bypass
• info-leak
• vendor-advisory
• case-study
• owasp-a01-2021
• owasp-a07-2021

This page is the archive's own catalogue record. The research is the work of Aditya K Sood, first published at the original source. Preserved copies are kept so the citation survives its host; this one was last captured on 15 August 2026.