gchq / gchq/CyberChef

Feature request: Base64-encoded string can be decoded and directly rendered as a PDF within the interface

Open
#2,096 2 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
feature
Dominant language
JavaScript
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Description

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**Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.**
Currently, CyberChef allows decoding a Base64 string to a text output, but it does not provide a straightforward way to render or view the result directly as a PDF file it only supports the render functionality for images. This makes it difficult to quickly analyze PDF content encoded in Base64 without downloading and opening it separately.

**Describe the solution you'd like**
I would like CyberChef to support a feature where a Base64-encoded string can be decoded and directly rendered as a PDF within the interface. This could be shown in a preview panel or as an embedded viewer, making it easier to inspect PDF content without leaving the tool.

**Describe alternatives you've considered**

* Manually decoding the Base64 string in CyberChef and exporting the result as a `.pdf` file to view in an external PDF reader.
* Using other [tools](https://base64.guru/converter/decode/pdf) or scripts to decode and render PDF files outside of CyberChef.

**Additional context**
Adding a direct PDF rendering feature would enhance CyberChef’s usability for security researchers and analysts who frequently encounter Base64-encoded PDF files (e.g., in malware analysis, phishing email investigations, or forensic work). Please assign this to me, I would be happy to work on this issue
Thanks!

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by locating CyberChef’s existing image-rendering functionality and the output path used after Base64 decoding. Define how decoded PDF data should be previewed within the interface, then verify that representative Base64-encoded PDFs render correctly without requiring an external viewer.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
javascript
Domain
frontend
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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