I bought an e-book PDF from an obvious scammer, is it malware?

Evaluating Potential Malware Risks After Purchasing an Unverified E-Book: A Case Study

In today’s digital marketplace, consumers often encounter a variety of e-books and digital content from diverse sellers. While many are legitimate, some can raise suspicions regarding their authenticity and safety. Recent experiences serve as a reminder of the importance of vigilance when engaging with unfamiliar sources. This article explores a real-world scenario where an individual purchased an e-book from an unverified seller and conducted a thorough analysis to determine potential security risks.

The Initial Purchase and Red Flags

The individual in question bought an e-book titled “Offline Awakening” by an author named Sophia Daven. However, upon purchase, it was noticed that the seller’s PayPal account did not match the author’s name. This discrepancy prompted further investigation, signaling that the source might not be entirely trustworthy.

Digital Footprint Analysis

A quick online search revealed several suspicious indicators:

• Uniform Bot-Like Engagement: Comments related to the book on YouTube and Medium exhibited highly similar wording, with numerous high-likes but no meaningful responses, suggesting automation rather than genuine interaction.
• AI-Generated Content: TikTok posts from the seller’s account appeared to be AI-generated, with recent activity concentrated within days of the purchase, further raising suspicion.

These signs collectively suggested that the online presence surrounding the e-book was likely orchestrated with automated bots or AI-generated content—common characteristics of scam operations or fake marketing campaigns.

File Analysis and Virus Scanning

To assess potential malware risks, the purchased PDF was scanned using VirusTotal—a comprehensive online service that tests files against multiple antivirus engines. Initial results showed no known threats; however, a detailed sandbox report raised some concerns:

• Suspicious Files: The report identified two files associated with Adobe Acrobat’s data directories:
• TESTING within the Acrobat SOPHIA directory

• SOPHIA.json within the same path

• Registry Activity: Notable registry modifications were observed, including entries related to DLL injection, session management, internet settings, and other system behaviors typically associated with advanced document handling or potentially malicious activity.

Interpreting the Findings

The presence of files containing “SOPHIA” and registry entries alone could be alarming; however, further investigation clarified that:

• Official Adobe Association: An Adobe forum post confirmed that files labeled “SOPHIA” are legitimate components related to Adobe Acrobat—specifically, part of the