Identifier / Programs / Linux and Unix
pdftex
Compile a PDF document from TeX source files. tldr-pages
GTFOBins shell 1 ATT&CK technique 1 documented command
How pdftex is abused
shell T1059.004 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell
--shell-escapeEach abuse is GTFOBins's category and the options and words it uses; the full write-up is on GTFOBins's page for pdftex.
1 documented command
shell unprivileged, with sudo, as SUID
pdftex --shell-escape '\write18{/bin/sh}\end'The command the identifier reads trips no Sigma process-creation rule. This command is from GTFOBins, at commit acd524623f9c of 2026-05-27, under the GPL-3.0, with no warranty. Changed: Markdown is shown formatted. The source is in lolbas-gtfobins-commands.json.gz, and the full entry is on GTFOBins’s page for pdftex. The identifier reads the line that runs pdftex.
What detects it
Everyday use
Compile a PDF document
pdftex source.texIdentifyCompile a PDF document, specifying an output directory
pdftex -output-directory=path/to/directory source.texIdentifyCompile a PDF document, exiting on each error
pdftex -halt-on-error source.texIdentifyNone of the 3 examples the identifier reads matches GTFOBins abuse or trips a Sigma process-creation rule.