diff --git a/app/helpers/file_helper.rb b/app/helpers/file_helper.rb
index 2ae3597b2f..46f616de98 100644
--- a/app/helpers/file_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/file_helper.rb
@@ -83,6 +83,16 @@ def accept_file(file, name, kind)
           msg: msg
         }
       end
+
+      # Sanitize the PDF
+      sanitized_result = sanitize_pdf(file["tempfile"].path)
+      unless sanitized_result[:success]
+        logger.debug "PDF sanitization failed: #{sanitized_result[:msg]}"
+        return { accepted: false, msg: sanitized_result[:msg] }
+      end
+
+      # Replace the original file with the sanitized version
+      FileUtils.mv(sanitized_result[:sanitized_path], file["tempfile"].path)
     end
 
     logger.debug "Uploaded file is accepted"
@@ -398,6 +408,53 @@ def validate_pdf(filename)
     { valid: true, encrypted: false }
   end
 
+  #
+  # Sanitize a PDF file
+  #
+  def sanitize_pdf(input_path, output_path = nil)
+    return { success: false, msg: 'File does not exist' } unless File.exist?(input_path)
+
+    output_path ||= File.join(Dir.tmpdir, "sanitized-#{File.basename(input_path)}")
+
+    begin
+      logger.debug "Starting PDF sanitization for #{input_path}"
+
+      # Step 1: Validate the PDF
+      logger.debug "Validating PDF: #{input_path}"
+      validation_result = validate_pdf(input_path)
+      unless validation_result[:valid]
+        return { success: false, msg: 'Invalid or corrupted PDF' }
+      end
+
+      # Step 2: Use qpdf to sanitize the PDF
+      logger.debug "Running qpdf on: #{input_path}"
+      qpdf(input_path)
+
+      # Step 3: Further sanitize using ghostscript
+      sanitized_tmp = File.join(Dir.tmpdir, "gs-sanitized-#{File.basename(input_path)}")
+      logger.debug "Running ghostscript on: #{input_path}"
+      exec = "gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dDetectDuplicateImages=true -dPDFSETTINGS=/printer -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -dQUIET -sOutputFile=\"#{sanitized_tmp}\" \"#{input_path}\""
+      TimeoutHelper.system_try_within(30, "Ghostscript sanitization timeout", exec)
+
+      # Replace the output file with the ghostscript-sanitized version if successful
+      if File.exist?(sanitized_tmp)
+        FileUtils.mv(sanitized_tmp, output_path)
+      end
+
+      # Step 4: Validate the sanitized PDF
+      if File.exist?(output_path) && validate_pdf(output_path)[:valid]
+        logger.debug "Sanitization complete for #{input_path}"
+        return { success: true, sanitized_path: output_path }
+      else
+        return { success: false, msg: 'Failed to sanitize PDF' }
+      end
+    rescue => e
+      logger.error "Failed to sanitize PDF #{input_path}. Error: #{e.message}"
+      logger.error "Backtrace: #{e.backtrace.join("\n")}"
+      return { success: false, msg: "Error during sanitization: #{e.message}" }
+    end
+  end
+
   #
   # Copy a PDF into place
   #
@@ -636,6 +693,7 @@ def line_wrap(path, width: 160)
   module_function :qpdf
   module_function :move_files
   module_function :validate_pdf
+  module_function :sanitize_pdf
   module_function :copy_pdf
   module_function :read_file_to_str
   module_function :path_to_plagarism_html
diff --git a/test/helpers/file_helper_test.rb b/test/helpers/file_helper_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5dd2cfc339
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/helpers/file_helper_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+
+class FileHelperTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
+  test 'sanitize_pdf should sanitize a valid PDF' do
+    input_path = 'test/fixtures/files/valid.pdf'
+    output_path = File.join(Dir.tmpdir, 'sanitized-valid.pdf')
+
+    result = FileHelper.sanitize_pdf(input_path, output_path)
+    assert result[:success], "Expected sanitization to succeed, but got: #{result[:msg]}"
+    assert File.exist?(result[:sanitized_path]), 'Sanitized file does not exist'
+  end
+
+  test 'sanitize_pdf should fail for an invalid PDF' do
+    input_path = 'test/fixtures/files/invalid.pdf'
+
+    result = FileHelper.sanitize_pdf(input_path)
+    assert_not result[:success], 'Expected sanitization to fail for invalid PDF'
+  end
+end