Malicious Office (OOXML) / .XLSX — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 2db8ad767efd0322…

MALICIOUS

Office (OOXML) / .XLSX

103.5 KB Created: 2015-06-05 18:19:34 UTC Authoring application: Microsoft Excel 16.0300
MD5: 3eb08d60670893aeab44a6ab05bb541e SHA-1: a30f9137fbf4ec6c4e9b6ed3c1f9686f35c61b7c SHA-256: 2db8ad767efd03224f321bbe9ec90aeb47668450aea30fe125b5aac7a00a2cea
290 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1218.011 Signed Binary Proxy Execution: Rundll32 T1059.005 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic T1059.001 Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell T1059.003 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell

This XLSX file contains Excel 4.0 macros, which are known to be used for malicious purposes. The macros utilize dangerous functions like FORMULA to call Win32 APIs, specifically to download a payload from one of the provided URLs. The `rundll32.exe` command line, constructed from concatenated strings, indicates the execution of a downloaded component from `SysWow64\..\iix.ocx`. This suggests a downloader or initial access stage of a malware infection.

Heuristics 7

  • Excel 4.0 macro sheet (3 sheet(s)) critical OOXML_XLM_MACROSHEET
    Spreadsheet contains an Excel 4.0 (XLM) macro sheet — XLM was a major Office malware vector during 2020-2022 and evaded many VBA-focused controls before Microsoft tightened XLM defaults. Even legitimate XLM use is rare in modern workbooks.
  • Excel 4.0 Auto_Open defined name critical OOXML_XLM_AUTOOPEN_DEFINEDNAME
    Workbook defines _xlnm.Auto_Open or _xlnm.Auto_Close while containing an XLM macro sheet. This is the OOXML/XLSB auto-execution shape for Excel 4.0 macros.
  • Dangerous XLM formula APIs: FORMULA critical OOXML_XLM_DANGEROUS_FN
    Excel 4.0 macro sheet uses formula APIs that call directly into Win32 (=CALL/=EXEC/=REGISTER/=FORMULA). These are the primitives used to download payloads, write files, and start processes from an XLM macro without invoking VBA.
  • ClamAV: Win.Malware.Agent-9983617-0 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Win.Malware.Agent-9983617-0
  • LOLBin token sequence in document text high SE_LOLBIN_RUN_COMMAND
    Extracted document text contains a Windows script/execution tool name (PowerShell, mshta, cmd, rundll32, regsvr32, …) within 220 characters of a dangerous flag, command verb, or URL. This is a visible 'run this' instruction in HTML/PDF/RTF lure bodies, or — in macro-laden Office files — the macro's own string-pool entries appearing adjacent in extracted text.
  • Hidden worksheet (hidden) low OOXML_HIDDEN_SHEET
    Excel workbook contains 6 hidden sheet(s) — hidden sheets are commonly used to conceal macro code, staging data, or intermediate payload construction
  • 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 https://torostripinginc.com/old/V6BBS9ai/
    • https://dev.woodiewin.com/wp-admin/Humbse55L82p72PIbbA/
    • https://geologyadventures.com/error/vEsebODbHUw/
    • https://xxden.online/wp-content/ge6YV52pidqe/
    • https://firebirdtaclub.com/_borders/TMFaFAVVxivebh/
    • http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/spreadsheetml/2006/main
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/excel/2006/main
    • http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships
    • http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2009/9/ac
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2014/revision
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2015/revision2
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2016/revision3
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2016/revision6

Extracted artifacts 3

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
xlm_sheet_00.xml
931aca2f208be70d374ebb6e3b5ce84d62043710cebea4a63abc358f6e3d2cda
xlm-macrosheet OOXML XLM macro sheet: xl/macrosheets/intlsheet1.xml 3792 bytes
xlm_sheet_01.xml
1301a9b68f708ecd53476001d2adc675d5907080f1329990cc388355cfbedfbc
xlm-macrosheet OOXML XLM macro sheet: xl/macrosheets/sheet1.xml 1278 bytes
xlm_sheet_02.xml
103e1830b20c8ca2f2e6d51a3a81673c3dd315f160a9ecbe580bdab4d6238de1
xlm-macrosheet OOXML XLM macro sheet: xl/macrosheets/sheet2.xml 1275 bytes