Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 5e0c9dbaa6736795…

MALICIOUS

PDF

187.2 KB Created: 2017-08-04 12:46:31 UTC Authoring application: TeX (via MiKTeX pdfTeX-1.40.17)
MD5: b53c590c18a1217efffd941b3fb44249 SHA-1: 7fae0ff81bcbb892e80dfd0cf0100dda4f2772e1 SHA-256: 5e0c9dbaa67367952278b520f2466fead1fc43955f5578af6943f4c161e22512
518 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution T1059.007 JavaScript T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment

The PDF file contains embedded JavaScript that utilizes the `exportDataObject` function to launch an embedded executable disguised as 'math.pdf'. This executable is detected as a Windows Trojan by ClamAV. The PDF also contains a launch action targeting 'cmd.exe' with parameters that suggest it is designed to execute the embedded payload. The combination of these factors strongly indicates a malicious document designed to deliver and execute a secondary payload.

Machine Learning

  • Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 0.9955

Heuristics 13

  • 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\\math.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
  • 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.
  • 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://www.zeustech.net/
    • http://]hostname[:port]/path
    • http://www.apache.org/
    • http://www.ams.org
    • http://scripts.sil.org/OFL

Extracted artifacts 7

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
math.pdf
21f3ff735a2d2c504a88f2aa598f30d8dfaf1675d2069ac1bc927e332b8ed0d0
pdf-embedded-file PDF EmbeddedFile object 228 at offset 0x23C26 73802 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: Win.Trojan.MSShellcode-7
Obfuscation or payload: unlikely
javascript_obj0229_000.js
ff01c43fef6ce43e3f48a976e49ad5f9539195804ab42c870e34672c22983e44
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 229 at offset 0x2E84E 53 bytes
font_00_type1_off00016e05.bin
c85e70b5306a04589e567e7521fc4f74230d7dbf4d2780cb0c1f84879fdb6924
pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x16E05 11194 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.90, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_01_type1_off00019925.bin
4abecec04823017ced1d690f97988c135cf5eb84e563bb5eb0438ea183027ea2
pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x19925 11711 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.90, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_02_type1_off0001c622.bin
3932613c86c5d5910218cf60ea103f5c4755bfd1203da1af211fdb849f81ac38
pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x1C622 8958 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.86, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_03_type1_off0001e8bd.bin
03bd27f81b3d08969581a26e18cef6f41af8cdf82302f88ccb51e791f77a7f52
pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x1E8BD 7832 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.85, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_04_type1_off000206f9.bin
71560e402607a269a2a558903177519106dc8596e8ff1d3159ae79a8fd68c0d4
pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x206F9 7629 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.84, consistent with packed or encrypted content.