PDF malware analysis — malicious · 29b7053231f8b5b2

MALICIOUS

PDF

256.8 KB Created: 2010-12-04 02:47:05 Authoring application: Joomla! 1.5 - Open Source Content Management. Developed By Navid Iranian Co. Ltd (via TCPDF 3.0.015 (http://www.tcpdf.org))

MD5: 2b27886d375401f7fd6add8e1aacdcdf SHA-1: ab340fb6070b619c213aa16f012187e48501386f SHA-256: 29b7053231f8b5b2bf3f05aa890005ae8dce04eb1677dbeb77c98428d1bf53a7

434 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK

T1204.002 Malicious File T1059.001 PowerShell T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment T1204.001 User Execution: Malicious Link T1059.003 Windows Command Shell

The PDF file contains embedded JavaScript that triggers a launch action, exploiting CVE-2010-1240 in Adobe Reader. This action executes cmd.exe with parameters designed to change the directory and potentially execute a payload. The embedded file, named '2.pdf', is identified as a Windows executable, indicating a dropper mechanism.

Heuristics 12

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\\2.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.Tool.Agent-1388586 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION

ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Tool.Agent-1388586
/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.
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
Optional Content Group with action trigger low PDF_OPTIONAL_CONTENT

Optional Content Group (layer) co-occurs with an action trigger — content can be selectively hidden from viewers or scanners while the action still fires on open
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.

Extracted artifacts 2

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

Filename	Kind	Source	Size
`2.pdf` `74443fe7b9f67b8c5d33d5f521acfe29cec40667098cdf4b487d812a7646e0d7`	pdf-embedded-file	PDF EmbeddedFile object 35 at offset 0xF183	204146 bytes
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.89, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`javascript_obj0036_000.js` `ebb4d0adfd4f0ef58c565da7961d4de74ebf55f5f7719faa2ebf2d52de9509db`	pdf-javascript-stream	PDF /JS object 36 at offset 0x3FF68	50 bytes

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