Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 0a2b4fec63e592b7…

MALICIOUS

PDF

144.2 KB Authoring application: cairo 1.8.0 (http://cairographics.org
MD5: 8d6cbd8839f489c7346b7fd9ea763754 SHA-1: 379f263b0e5ee5021a507f4c325c1a3bd39397d9 SHA-256: 0a2b4fec63e592b7ed45f09511b571c05117978f767700ed96e83969b8ce12ca
478 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment T1059.007 JavaScript T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer

This PDF document exploits CVE-2010-1240 to launch cmd.exe, which in turn executes a dropped payload. The embedded JavaScript uses the exportDataObject function to extract a file named 'CanadaPost_Invoice_Notice_9381747173.pdf', but the content is identified as a Windows executable. This indicates a clear attempt to deliver a malicious payload disguised as a legitimate document.

Machine Learning

  • Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 1.0000

Heuristics 13

  • Adobe Reader Launch action command execution critical CVE exact CVE_2010_1240
    PDF uses the Adobe Reader/Acrobat Launch action pattern associated with CVE-2010-1240: cmd.exe is invoked with attacker-controlled parameters, paired with an embedded/exported payload.
  • Launch action critical PDF_LAUNCH
    PDF contains a /Launch action whose target is an executable, URL, or UNC path — can start an external application
  • Embedded Windows executable payload in PDF stream critical PDF_EMBEDDED_PE_PAYLOAD
    PDF stream bytes contain an embedded Windows executable with a verified PE header. Exploit chains often hide droppers inside ordinary streams rather than standard /EmbeddedFile attachments.
  • /Launch action target: cmd.exe critical PDF_LAUNCH_COMMAND
    PDF /Launch action specifies an executable target with parameters '/Q /C %HOMEDRIVE%&cd %HOMEPATH%&(if exist "Desktop\\CanadaPost_Invoice_Notice_9381747173.pdf" (cd "Desktop"' — references a known-dangerous executable (cmd, PowerShell, etc.).
  • Embedded attachment masquerades: declared document, content is windows-executable critical PDF_EMBEDDED_FILESPEC_CONTENT_MISMATCH
    An /EmbeddedFile attachment's declared filename extension or /Subtype MIME type contradicts the magic bytes of its decompressed content. The attachment is declared as a benign document or image but the bytes are an executable or executable-bearing archive. This is a deliberate deception used to hide droppers in PDF attachments and is a generic indicator of embed-and-drop weaponisation, independent of any specific CVE.
  • ClamAV: Pdf.Dropper.Agent-7226750-0 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Dropper.Agent-7226750-0
  • /Launch action paired with attachment-dropping JS API high PDF_LAUNCH_PLUS_DROPPER_JS
    PDF combines a /Launch action with a JavaScript API call that writes or opens an attached/external resource — the canonical shape of the CVE-2010-1240 /Launch + exportDataObject family. Benign PDFs do not pair these surfaces; the combination indicates a drop-and-execute chain regardless of the specific JS API knobs or /Launch target.
  • Image-only document with action trigger (screenshot lure) medium PDF_IMAGE_LURE
    PDF has 1 image(s), only 0 text block(s), carries a click-outward action, and is only 144 KB — typical shape of a phishing lure where a full-page screenshot hides a clickable button that launches or submits to an attacker URL.
  • 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.
  • Embedded file low PDF_EMBEDDED
    PDF embeds a file attachment — could carry an executable or another weaponised document as a nested payload
  • 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://cairographics.org

Extracted artifacts 2

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
CanadaPost_Invoice_Notice_9381747173.pdf
ff222f761ebff1d756fa2b15803a0c17daaa02cc92de9f3c8dd5d1fd0ee7471a
pdf-embedded-file PDF EmbeddedFile object 15 at offset 0x991D 130725 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.55, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
javascript_obj0016_000.js
a6c4d6ad7a0d4cf8afc2424a8c7f791cf343b7b8dcd94a8a2d85a8a6a1c51c24
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 16 at offset 0x23C65 85 bytes