Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 41a1b918733ee61c…

MALICIOUS

PDF

118.8 KB
MD5: e0a00d0289e2736d2142fd0f0fe46561 SHA-1: c1e71f0cc884b769af0ca302463dc30c4d3cd182 SHA-256: 41a1b918733ee61c075fb23e0b9585ad3a8e9d21aab40333c82504fdd9602e11
496 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.001 PowerShell T1204.001 Malicious Link T1059.007 JavaScript

This PDF file contains multiple critical heuristic firings indicating it is an exploit kit targeting Adobe Reader vulnerabilities, specifically CVE-2009-4324, CVE-2009-0927, CVE-2007-5659, and CVE-2008-2992. The embedded JavaScript is heavily obfuscated and uses a substitution-hex decoder, ultimately evaluating code that likely downloads and executes a second-stage payload. The ClamAV detection of 'Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36086' further supports this assessment.

Machine Learning

  • Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 1.0000

Heuristics 12

  • media.newPlayer — CVE-2009-4324 critical CVE exact CVE_2009_4324
    PDF JavaScript calls media.newPlayer — CVE-2009-4324 is a use-after-free in Adobe Reader's multimedia plugin triggered by media.newPlayer(). Actively exploited as a zero-day in December 2009. (identified after JavaScript deobfuscation)
  • Collab.getIcon — CVE-2009-0927 critical CVE exact CVE_2009_0927
    PDF JavaScript calls Collab.getIcon — CVE-2009-0927 is a stack buffer overflow in Adobe Reader triggered by Collab.getIcon() with a crafted argument. Allows arbitrary code execution. (identified after JavaScript deobfuscation)
  • Collab.collectEmailInfo — CVE-2007-5659 critical CVE exact CVE_2007_5659
    PDF JavaScript calls Collab.collectEmailInfo — CVE-2007-5659 is a buffer overflow in Adobe Reader triggered by a long argument or heap-sprayed message field passed to Collab.collectEmailInfo(). Part of a series of Acrobat JS API exploits. (identified after JavaScript deobfuscation)
  • util.printf — CVE-2008-2992 critical CVE exact CVE_2008_2992
    PDF JavaScript calls util.printf() — CVE-2008-2992 is a stack buffer overflow in Adobe Reader triggered by a long format-specifier argument. Widely exploited in the wild after disclosure. (identified after JavaScript deobfuscation)
  • Multi-CVE Adobe Reader JavaScript exploit kit critical PDF_ADOBE_READER_MULTI_CVE_JS_KIT
    One recovered JavaScript stage contains multiple version-gated Adobe Reader exploit branches. This is stronger evidence than independent API keywords: the PDF is selecting old Reader vulnerabilities by viewer version and running heap-sprayed Acrobat JavaScript exploit paths.
  • ClamAV: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36086 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36086
  • eval() call high PDF_EVAL
    eval() found — commonly used for obfuscated exploit execution (matched inside decoded stream)
  • Large comment-padded JavaScript eval stager high PDF_JS_LARGE_COMMENT_PADDED_EVAL
    PDF JavaScript contains a very large stream padded with long random-looking block comments around String.fromCharCode and eval. This is an exploit-kit obfuscation shape used to bury a decoder and recovered stage inside noise, not normal PDF form automation.
  • 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.
  • String.fromCharCode low PDF_FROMCHARCODE
    String.fromCharCode found — used to construct payload strings dynamically. Common in benign JavaScript libraries for codepoint manipulation, so this alone is informational; weaponised use is also caught by the dedicated fromCharCode-stage and exploit-shape rules. (matched inside decoded stream)
  • 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.

FilenameKindSourceSize
javascript_obj0006_000.js
7df00001917525a4320a158c4b43a3e8e06a8865b8fe571e861f8916d74ec4ad
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 6 at offset 0x143 627659 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 2 eval/decoder/string-building token(s). Carved artifact contains 42 long base64-like blob(s).
legacy_pdfkit_stage_000.js
299e325d2c2e450d096bc4d4e77c5af5e2903ca5dfdbefc0246d1a79447eb2d9
deobfuscated-js comment-padded substitution-hex decoded JavaScript at offset 0x143 10413 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 12 eval/decoder/string-building token(s). Carved artifact contains 1 long base64-like blob(s).