Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 48fde1c4b28834b0…

MALICIOUS

PDF

184.0 KB Created: †°HƒŠ?tu·&wš?‹øH]±Ü Authoring application: J¸–Oc¯†\•(s²bx>ßKΊ®Yœ{<HG (via ƒéQEÕÎ.%ö`,ÏJkÔèGT±Âtq"Äôaù=± ¢v)
MD5: 8c0df8a748ae8331bfe326e6a22a808c SHA-1: e4a41eb9a28609c2a7cc820cabc2057ce13d88d1 SHA-256: 48fde1c4b28834b04e19cdc23841f4eb7c61d93bdd19b5ca32969a9b76e44978
484 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.001 PowerShell T1204.002 Malicious File T1566.002 Spearphishing Attachment T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer

The PDF contains embedded JavaScript and a critical heuristic firing for PDF_EMBEDDED_PE_PAYLOAD indicates an embedded Windows executable. The PDF also has a launch action targeting cmd.exe, which is part of a chain to execute the embedded payload. The embedded file is named 'glossary.pdf' but is detected as a Windows executable, suggesting a lure to trick the user into executing it.

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\\glossary.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
  • Encrypted PDF carries /OpenAction — payload hidden from static analysis high PDF_ENCRYPTED_WITH_JS
    PDF declares /Encrypt and also references an executable trigger (/OpenAction). Document encryption hides the JavaScript body and stream contents from static scanners — combined with auto-execution indicators this is a known evasion pattern used to deliver weaponised JavaScript that the analyst cannot inspect without the decryption key.
  • /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.
  • Image-only document with action trigger (screenshot lure) medium PDF_IMAGE_LURE
    PDF has 1 image(s), only 0 text block(s), carries a click-outward action, and is only 183 KB — typical shape of a phishing lure where a full-page screenshot hides a clickable button that launches or submits to an attacker URL.
  • 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 3

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
glossary.pdf
e9a914fe7877acad2d58ad31fbaaf058bb0966311034076f819d5f196815f98f		 pdf-embedded-file PDF EmbeddedFile object 158 at offset 0x28DFA 37888 bytes
javascript_obj0159_000.js
17bad0fa4b6a9445ca664a304fa336c6c5b9667cb5754e3504b7e359218b2041		 pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 159 at offset 0x2DAB3 57 bytes
font_00_cff_off00012716.bin
e822493c4ce473b73ec5c418d7453fe02b7c8d1e41d243e7b21caeba0e5187e4		 pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (cff) at offset 0x12716 491 bytes

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