Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 2c90c2de8f187a3f…

MALICIOUS

PDF

3.0 KB Created: 2005-09-29 09:27:34 UTC Authoring application: Acrobat Distiller 8.1.0 (Windows)
MD5: 25c27758f7ac5884588c85e4f42408e4 SHA-1: c1fb38500a37c5ebd1c8e7ff6c56b4ba5362900e SHA-256: 2c90c2de8f187a3fa9815d2ca1613ddec02885afbe377f8ba311b4f50c096bd0
162 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution T1059.001 PowerShell

The PDF file contains embedded JavaScript and an XFA form, triggering a critical heuristic for CVE-2010-0188, an Adobe Reader LibTIFF exploit. This indicates the document is designed to exploit a vulnerability in the reader to execute arbitrary code. The embedded file and JavaScript suggest a downloader or dropper functionality, though its exact payload is not discernible from the static analysis.

Heuristics 8

  • Adobe Reader LibTIFF XFA image exploit — CVE-2010-0188 critical CVE likely CVE_2010_0188
    PDF contains XFA image data with an inline crafted TIFF payload and shellcode/delivery markers. This is the data-bound variant of the CVE-2010-0188 Adobe Reader LibTIFF/XFA exploit shape.
  • ClamAV: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36015 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36015
  • 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
  • XFA form low PDF_XFA
    PDF uses XML Forms Architecture — can contain script logic
  • AcroForm button with action trigger low PDF_ACROFORM_BUTTON
    PDF contains a /Btn form field together with a SubmitForm/URI/Launch/JS trigger — this is the building block of fake 'Download' or 'Open' button overlays used in PDF phishing lures
  • 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 1

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
embedded_file_obj0004.bin
9ac10a793eaa5b79fb5e2950ad40393cb839b43d9c6151044ef94721a9cdbcdb
pdf-embedded-file PDF EmbeddedFile object 4 at offset 0x1D5 12826 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 1 long base64-like blob(s).