Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 44784878b25b9729…

MALICIOUS

PDF

80.2 KB Created: 2000-03-23 17:16:31 Authoring application: dvips(k) 5.86 Copyright 1999 Radical Eye Software (via Acrobat Distiller 3.01 for Power Macintosh)
MD5: cabadb1ebe982794975fafa4b6c49a50 SHA-1: 93f4f2692f5fc9f043bd898e2eb2c704f22c6cbc SHA-256: 44784878b25b9729b588839bc1f9d1d1b3578bf7c1d3bbb6c4a1e64a4c94f156
514 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1204.002 Malicious File T1566.002 Spearphishing Attachment T1059.001 PowerShell T1204.001 User Execution: Malicious Link T1027 Obfuscated Files or Information

The PDF contains embedded JavaScript and a launch action that targets cmd.exe, indicating an attempt to execute a payload. Crucially, it embeds a Windows executable disguised as a PDF file named 'Bypassing_Firewalls.pdf'. This executable was detected by ClamAV as 'Win.Trojan.Swrort-5710536-0', and the PDF itself was flagged by ClamAV as 'Pdf.Tool.Agent-1388586'. The combination of these factors strongly suggests a malicious dropper.

Machine Learning

  • Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 1.0000

Heuristics 11

  • 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\\Bypassing_Firewalls.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
  • ClamAV detection on extracted artifact critical EXTRACTED_FILE_CLAMAV
    ClamAV flagged at least one file extracted from inside this sample. Even when the wrapping document carries no AV detection of its own, a hit on the carved artifact is a strong indicator the sample is a delivery vehicle.
  • /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

Extracted artifacts 2

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
Bypassing_Firewalls.pdf
3821092812a8d226f4a1023b7c6982533ac69fccf76d569987d5465819745e90		 pdf-embedded-file PDF EmbeddedFile object 53 at offset 0x8F47 73802 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: Win.Trojan.Swrort-5710536-0
Obfuscation or payload: unlikely
javascript_obj0054_000.js
719088536e0b8f96fd493166d0840cc330f2c38affd7f8c6575c4e8d5e499c49		 pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 54 at offset 0x13BE3 68 bytes

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