File Content Extraction 26.3
Filter SDK Python Programming Guide

# Security Best Practices

This section outlines some security best practices to consider when using File Content Extraction.

- Keep File Content Extraction Up to Date. New releases may include security updates, including updates to third-party libraries. See Third-Party Library Upgrade Policy.
- Protect the Temporary Directory. File Content Extraction can write sensitive information to the temporary directory, so this location must be protected. See Protect the Temporary Directory.
- Run File Content Extraction with Minimal Privileges. In the event that a malicious actor causes File Content Extraction to behave dangerously, the potential damage is limited if File Content Extraction is running with fewer privileges. See Run Filter with Minimal Privileges.

- Protect the bin Directory. The `bin` directory contains DLLs and other files that are necessary for normal operation of File Content Extraction. If a malicious actor tampers with these files, they might cause File Content Extraction to behave dangerously. You must set directory permissions to allow access to only sufficiently trusted users.

- Protect Output Locations. Extracted content might be sensitive, so you must protect any output locations by setting directory permissions to allow access to only sufficiently trusted users.

- Use a Recursion Limit When Extracting. Some container formats allow a malicious user to create a file for which recursive extraction never ends (for example, a ZIP file that contains itself). For this reason you might want to consider implementing a recursion limit when extracting containers.

- Run Filter Out-of-Process. By default, Filter processes documents in a separate process, which protects the stability of the calling application. OpenText strongly recommends that you use this default.

- Avoid Path Traversal Attacks. Container files can specify paths for their subfiles, but using these paths without validation can lead to a type of path traversal vulnerability known as Zip Slip. When extracting subfiles do not use `Subfile.raw_name` as the path of a file you create on disk as this could be an absolute path or a relative path containing "`..`".

- Protect Log Files. When you use diagnostic logging, File Content Extraction restricts information that it writes to log files to exclude information like file names, file content, or credentials. When you use legacy out-of-process logging, file names and other potentially sensitive information might be logged. In either case, OpenText recommends that you set directory permissions on the logging output directory to allow access to only sufficiently trusted users.

Copyright 1997-2026 Open Text
Version 26.3 | Last updated July 2026

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Product: File Content Extraction 26.3

Topic Title: Security Best Practices