Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 115ec7bdf5f5d827…

MALICIOUS

PDF

360.4 KB Created: 2017-01-12 18:40:36 -05:00 Authoring application: Microsoft® Word 2010
MD5: 46147f1cd2f98727fdeefa6403585a7c SHA-1: 399ba8fa08976c718dbc65490f1b57357c748570 SHA-256: 115ec7bdf5f5d827f0ae53c6df665dfe98e69a4b756cce25bb1d1e21b57a029e
698 Risk Score

Malware Insights

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

The PDF file contains embedded JavaScript that utilizes the `exportDataObject` function to launch an embedded executable named 'EvIlDoCuMeNt.pdf'. This executable is likely a dropper, as indicated by critical heuristics and ClamAV detections. The embedded executable is also flagged by ClamAV as a Trojan. The JavaScript's action of launching an external file and the embedded executable's nature strongly suggest it downloads and executes a second-stage payload from a remote source, potentially one of the unknown reputation URLs found.

Machine Learning

  • Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 0.9973

Heuristics 17

  • 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.
  • TrueType bitmap font + active content — CVE-2023-26369 related high CVE related PDF_CVE_2023_26369_RELATED
    PDF embeds a TrueType font with bitmap tables (EBDT/sbix/CBDT) alongside exploit delivery indicators — CVE-2023-26369 exploits the sfac_GetSbitBitmap function in Adobe's libCoolType for arbitrary code execution. This CVE was actively exploited in the wild, but this rule does not validate the malformed EBLC/EBDT primitive.
  • 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\\EvIlDoCuMeNt.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.
  • 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.Dropper.Agent-7230342-0 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Dropper.Agent-7230342-0
  • ClamAV detection on extracted artifact critical EXTRACTED_FILE_CLAMAV
    ClamAV flagged at least one file extracted from inside this sample. Even when the wrapping document carries no AV detection of its own, a hit on the carved artifact is a strong indicator the sample is a delivery vehicle.
  • /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.
  • Clickable PDF combines external action with parser-evasion structure high PDF_ACTION_PARSER_EVASION
    PDF has an external clickable URI together with object graph or xref structures that make parsers disagree, such as divergent duplicate objects, parser divergence, or xref offset mismatch. That combination is stronger than a plain link: the document is both an outward-action carrier and a parser-confusion/evasion sample.
  • Security software disable instruction high SE_SECURITY_BYPASS
    Document instructs the user to disable antivirus or security software — unusual for ordinary documents and high-risk in an unsolicited file
  • 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
  • External URI info PDF_URI
    PDF contains an external URL action
  • 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://its2090.weebly.com/
    • http://www.techeye.net/news/advertisers-invest-in-bond-style-spyware
    • http://ITS2090.weebly.com
    • http://www.zeustech.net/
    • http://]hostname[:port]/path
    • https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/
    • http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistir/threats/subsubsection3_3_1_1.html
    • http://betanews.com/2015/11/25/malwarebytes-exposes-adware-that-disables-antivirus/
    • http://www.ic3.gov/media/2015/150623.aspx
    • https://blog.kaspersky.com/ask-expert-ransomware-epidemic/9332/
    • http://www.securityweek.com/world-bank-site-has-certificate-revoked-after-hosting-phishing-page
    • http://usa.kaspersky.com/internet-security-center/definitions/social-engineering
    • http://www.apache.org/
    • http://www.microsoft.com/typography/ctfontshttp://fontfabrik.comYou
    • http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fonts/default.aspx
    • http://crl.microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/CSPCA.crl0H
    • http://www.microsoft.com/pki/certs/CSPCA.crt0
    • http://crl.microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/tspca.crl0H
    • http://www.microsoft.com/pki/certs/tspca.crt0
    • http://www.microsoft.com/typography

Extracted artifacts 3

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
EvIlDoCuMeNt.pdf
672a84301326cb41bb44e3dd9c52c897b17268081ae045e9576dcbe5b780bb95
pdf-embedded-file PDF EmbeddedFile object 256 at offset 0x4EF7D 73802 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: Win.Trojan.MSShellcode-7
Obfuscation or payload: unlikely
javascript_obj0257_000.js
8b52bc786f96c3eec179e852ee7cc5c0a73054accd8309a08326da143ecef727
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 257 at offset 0x59B37 61 bytes
stream_009_off0001776b.bin
792fada13f43c00cd2ef1f762fb754cf9ce13d697c20879ce901868fb3fb1f05
decompressed-pdf-stream PDF FlateDecoded stream at offset 0x1776B 200568 bytes