Emotet — Office (OOXML) / .XLSM malware analysis

Static analysis result for SHA-256 4facd3ece7b60620…

MALICIOUS

Office (OOXML) / .XLSM

48.4 KB Created: 2015-06-05 18:19:34 UTC Authoring application: Microsoft Excel 16.0300 First seen: 2022-03-08
MD5: 8ca2ec14a59da7c18bbcab42c61a2b20 SHA-1: ad1b4b42fcb265e7708648ff286e1eea4a4b57f9 SHA-256: 4facd3ece7b606207bbd2e7a0c81b57db468b4b600a0417ae147b16342673507
290 Risk Score

Malware Insights

Emotet · confidence 95%

MITRE ATT&CK
T1218.010 System Binary Proxy Execution: Regsvr32 T1059.005 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer

This XLSM file utilizes Excel 4.0 macros, specifically leveraging dangerous functions like FORMULA to download and execute payloads. The document body and heuristics indicate the use of regsvr32.exe to load a malicious OCX file from one of the provided URLs. The ClamAV signature also points to Emotet, a known downloader family. The script's intent is to download and execute a second-stage payload using regsvr32.exe.

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: Xls.Downloader.Emotet03221-9940858-0 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Xls.Downloader.Emotet03221-9940858-0
  • 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 5 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 http://suleyera.com/components/CNGhltc5v2K6/
    • http://moveit.savvyint.com/config/DsfssbO7BYG/
    • http://sociallysavvyseo.com/PinnacleDynamicServices/pRlYMzvfuu5B/
    • https://schwizer.net/styled/D0MG/
    • http://suleyera.com/comp
    • http://shabeerpv.atwebpages.com/css/ww6if1YAsMpjpuGz/
    • http://shimal.atwebpages.com/wp-content/xkaRkHr/
    • 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
f04a70b64ec63683784ca39bae294e6b2c7841eff011398f4b35767fb86e93c1		 xlm-macrosheet OOXML XLM macro sheet: xl/macrosheets/intlsheet1.xml 3899 bytes
xlm_sheet_01.xml
ca7fa26ed4d58d3fd46ef9dc8387e336f3ef9d70dc5dd78639bf3c2c5e458528		 xlm-macrosheet OOXML XLM macro sheet: xl/macrosheets/sheet1.xml 1277 bytes
xlm_sheet_02.xml
0b61b2dde0ca331ea31d988c051388a2c4d7c70e05fe1946e85ab2c205e9d956		 xlm-macrosheet OOXML XLM macro sheet: xl/macrosheets/sheet2.xml 1221 bytes

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