Shell.Application.ShellExecute COM pivot

PDF_SHELL_APPLICATION_PIVOT

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critical PDF_SHELL_APPLICATION_PIVOT

What it means

PDF (or its embedded JavaScript stub) instantiates Shell.Application and calls ShellExecute.

Why it fires

Some PDF readers prompt the user before honouring a /Launch action. Attackers sidestep that prompt by having a JScript stub (typically loaded via mshta as a `javascript:` URL) instantiate the Shell.Application COM object and call ShellExecute to spawn the next-stage process — the reader's /Launch warning may not fire because the spawn happens inside the mshta host, not inside the PDF reader.

Other PDF heuristics

PDF_LAUNCH_JS_PROTOCOL PDF_LAUNCH_COMMAND PDF_LAUNCH_MSHTA PDF_ADOBE_QR_UNLOCK_LURE PDF_JS_URL_KEYED_READER_EXPLOIT_KIT CVE_2009_2990_U3D_AUTOACTIVATE PDF_ANNOT_AUTHOR_EVAL_STAGER PDF_ANNOT_SUBJECT_HEX_EVAL_STAGER PDF_ANNOT_SUBJECT_MARKER_EVAL_STAGER PDF_JS_BASE_N_TOKEN_DOWNLOADER PDF_BASE64_PE_PAYLOAD PDF_BRAND_INVOICE_LURE_OFFDOMAIN PDF_BRAND_INVOICE_CLOUD_EMAIL_LURE PDF_CORPORATE_PRESENTATION_CLOUD_REDIRECT_LURE PDF_CORRUPTED_FILE_UPDATE_LURE PDF_CRACKED_SOFTWARE_SHORTLINK_LURE PDF_GAME_HACK_SEO_LINK_FARM PDF_DISTRIBUTED_PIRACY_LINK_FARM PDF_DOCUSIGN_DOWNLOAD_LURE PDF_DOCUMENT_ACTION_HOST_MISMATCH_LURE PDF_DYNAMIC_DNS_DOCUMENT_LINK_FARM PDF_SWF_NATIVE_MEMORY_CORRUPTION_PAYLOAD PDF_EMBEDDED_PE_PAYLOAD CVE_2010_1240_EMBEDDED_EXPORT_LAUNCH