Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 0859b1950b4ba2c9…

MALICIOUS

PDF

147.5 KB
MD5: 8a87031b4b1a1159d85a4ecc604977ab SHA-1: 0d82ad6c3094a3d47ba919af766e86dd5bdb6709 SHA-256: 0859b1950b4ba2c95e9e953e96bb3d822c75f708f1ab0c95fd55fef38f417fe9
238 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.007 JavaScript T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment

This PDF file contains embedded JavaScript that is heavily obfuscated and utilizes a custom base64 decoding function. The critical heuristic firings for PDF JavaScript exploit cluster and unescape() call, combined with ClamAV detection of 'Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36189', strongly indicate exploitation of a PDF vulnerability. The JavaScript likely decodes and executes a malicious payload, with the benign URLs suggesting the primary malicious intent is not directly hosted there. The presence of XFA forms also contributes to the exploitability.

Machine Learning

  • Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 0.9998

Heuristics 9

  • PDF JavaScript exploit cluster critical PDF_JS_EXPLOIT_CLUSTER
    PDF combines an executable JavaScript/action surface with exploit staging indicators such as eval/unescape/fromCharCode, XFA script content, or a related CVE pattern. Benign form JavaScript remains low-severity, but this correlated cluster is high-confidence malicious behavior.
  • ClamAV: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36189 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36189
  • unescape() call high PDF_UNESCAPE
    unescape() found — often used to decode shellcode in PDF JS exploits (matched inside decoded stream)
  • ASCIIHexDecode filter (with exploit indicators) medium PDF_FILTER_HEX
    Hex-encoding filter present alongside exploit delivery indicators — often used to hide payload or shellcode bytes
  • JavaScript action low PDF_JAVASCRIPT
    PDF contains a /JavaScript action. Generic JavaScript is common in benign forms; specific dangerous APIs are scored by separate rules.
  • Embedded JS stream low PDF_JS
    PDF references a /JS stream. Generic JavaScript is common in benign forms; specific dangerous APIs are scored by separate rules.
  • XFA form low PDF_XFA
    PDF uses XML Forms Architecture — can contain script logic
  • Suspicious extracted artifact info EXTRACTED_FILE_STATIC_TRIAGE
    One or more files extracted from inside this sample matched static suspicious-content checks such as script obfuscation, encoded payload blobs, packed data, or execution/download terms.
  • Embedded URL info EMBEDDED_URL
    One or more URLs were extracted from the document. The URL itself is not a detection — see the per-URL labels for which channel (macro, JS, link annotation, document body, ...) reached each URL.
    URL http://www.bitstream.com
    • http://ns.adobe.com/xdp/
    • http://www.xfa.org/schema/xci/2.6/
    • http://www.xfa.org/schema/xfa-template/2.6/

Extracted artifacts 3

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
javascript_obj0013_000.js
ec1c48f80d39eeed1bfd22b45cdb28f4653ec1d4fbd2a6887e302cd8cdc1a4c1
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 13 at offset 0x10531 27749 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 2 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
javascript_obj0013_001.js
53ac18afa1e7f34d4756ade791960c15f5d65a03110656e4ad99cb16e3a5120e
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 13 at offset 0x1056D 27757 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 2 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
font_00_sfnt_off00000352.bin
a8f4d9b7d604c3c8a0bf3f9a31b9e952d467f98d118fdc784d95d689a14d8a33
pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (sfnt) at offset 0x352 65932 bytes